New York, 29 September 2022 (TDI): The global community is celebrating “World Maritime Day 2022” on the 29th of September. The theme of this year’s celebrations is “New Technologies for Greener Shipping”.
Shipping enhances economies & increases employment.
On Thursday’s #WorldMaritimeDay, join us in recognizing seafarers’ key role securing vital global supply chains & transporting over 80% of world trade in these challenging times. https://t.co/K0kOYmkuvS pic.twitter.com/fPOLU84dqL
— United Nations (@UN) September 29, 2022
The annual celebrations for this day take place in the last week of September. In 2021, due to the pandemic, its parallel event was postponed.
As the International Maritime Organization (IMO) decided, those postponed events will take place in South Africa this year.
IMO has also announced that the parallel events will take place in the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2023. Whereas these celebrations will take place in the Russian Federation in 2024 and the United Arab Emirates in 2025.
This day is commemorated to highlight seafarers’ importance, challenges, and hardships. The events that take place on this day focus on devising sustainable solutions to their problems.
World Maritime Day 2022
This year’s theme “New Technology for Greener Shipping” focuses on the need for a green transition in the maritime sector. It will help the IMO to move towards a sustainable and inclusive future.
The IMO Secretary-General, Kitack Lim proposed this theme to the IMO Council. He said, “The theme would provide an opportunity to focus on the importance of a sustainable maritime sector.
Also read: Global Maritime Forum 2022
It will emphasize the need to rebuild a better and greener post-pandemic world.” Lim Kitack further added, “IMO actively supports a greener transition of the shipping sector into a sustainable future.”
“It showcases maritime innovation, research and development, and the demonstration and deployment of new technologies.”
While highlighting the importance of unity to achieve the SDGs, he also said, “To achieve these objectives, partnerships are key.
This theme will allow coordinated communications among all stakeholders to highlight IMO initiatives to make shipping greener.”
Seafarers’ hardships
For global trade, international shipping is the most cost-effective, highly efficient, safest, and most secure option. It transports over 80% of the global trade all over the world.
The COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted the efforts and hardships of 2 million seafarers who served in dreadful times.
When the entire population was under lockdown, they were on the fleets. They were handling 80% of the world trade including medical equipment, and all the necessities.
IMO commits to providing the institutional framework for a green and sustainable global maritime transportation system. It also aims at creating a future that would ease the hardships of the ones spending months on fleets.
