Kōji Sekimizu

Koji Sekimizu (born 3 December 1952) is a Japanese official who was Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization between 2012 and 2015, as well as Chancellor of the World Maritime University.

Education Sekimizu attended school in Yokohama. This appointment was confirmed on 1 December 2011 and he became the eighth Secretary-General of the IMO. In September 2012, he argued for enhanced safety regulations for passenger shipping in the maritime industry. In June 2013, in Oslo, he advised audiences of the IMO development of the Polar Code.

In 2015, he stated clearly that the IMO must help prevent migrants from being sent to unsafe ports, specifically in the Mediterranean. In 2015, Sekimizu also said that shippers should not be responsible for capping their environmental emissions. In April 2015, he welcomed Zambia as the newest IMO member State.

Seikimizu served as Secretary-General until 31 December 2015. On his retirement from the IMO at the end of 2015, he was the last Japanese official to lead a UN specialised agency until the appointment of Masahiko Metoki to the Universal Postal Union in 2022.

In 2016, following his retirement he received the International Maritime Prize for his contributions at IMO.

Personal life He is married, with a daughter, son and two grand-daughters.