On the margins of the meeting of the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on 7 July 2025, a ceremony was held to return the IMO flag that had been flown by the training ship Amerigo Vespucci on its world tour. The flag was presented to the Vespucci, a symbol of Italian naval tradition, as it embarked on a two-year circumnavigation as an ambassador of shared maritime values. The mission took the ship to all five continents and included a passage around Cape Horn, known for its complex navigational conditions.
The event was attended by the Secretary General, Arsenio Dominguez, and the permanent representatives of the member states of the Council. The ceremony was opened by the Italy’s Vicarious Representative to the IMO, Giuseppe Spera, and included the screening of a video illustrating the ship’s voyage. Admiral Massimiliano Lauretto, head of the Italian navy’s policy and planning department, formally returned the flag to Secretary General Dominguez.
The event celebrated the Italy’s close links with the IMO and renewed the shared commitment to promoting maritime culture, naval education and international cooperation in the maritime sector.
