IMO Council, at its 28th Extraordinary Session at IMO Headquarters in London, has endorsed a proposal by Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu to adopt “Shipping: indispensable to the world” as the World Maritime Day theme for 2016. The theme would provide an opportunity to focus on the link between shipping and global society and to raise awareness of the role of IMO as the regulatory body for international shipping.
Modern world depends on shipping for the import and export of goods on a large scale. Today, around 90% of world trade is carried by the international shipping industry. And seaborne trade continues to expand, bringing benefits for consumers across the world through competitive freight costs. There are more than 50,000 merchant ships trading internationally, transporting every kind of cargo. The world fleet is registered in over 150 nations and manned by more than a million seafarers of virtually every nationality.
The theme will create awareness about the importance of shipping among all civil society.
The World Maritime Day theme provides a focus for year-round activities while the day itself is celebrated at IMO Headquarters and around the world in the last week of September. Since 2005, a formal parallel event has also been held, hosted by an IMO Member State. In 2016 the Parallel Event will be held in Turkey.
Source: IMO
