United Nations(UNs) World Maritime Day is annually observed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and its member states on the last Thursday of September to recognise the contribution of the international maritime industries toward the economy of the world.
The World Maritime Day 2020 falls on 24th September 2020.
The theme of World Maritime Day 2020 is “Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet” with a focus to raise the awareness of the UNs Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) and to showcase the efforts of IMO to achieve the targets.
Background:
i.More than 80% of the world trade is through sea, which provides an efficient and cost effective mode for international transportation of goods. The World Maritime Day provides an opportunity to focus on the importance of shipping and other maritime activities.
ii.The First World Maritime Day was observed on 17th March 1978 to mark the enforcement of IMO Convention in 1958.
iii.The IMO convention was adopted at the International Conference at Geneva, Switzerland in 1948 that formally established the IMO
International Maritime Organisation (IMO):
i.The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) was formally known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) which was changed into IMO in 1982.
ii.The IMO is working towards a regulatory Framework for a sustainable future of the sailors and other stakeholders.
Initiatives:
SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention:
i.The SOLAS Convention is an international treaty regarding the safety of merchant ships.
ii.The first version of SOLAS was adopted in 1914, in response to the TITANIC disaster followed by the 2nd 3rd and 4th versions in 1929, 1948 and 1960.
Djibouti Code of Conduct or Jeddah Amendment(DCOC/JA):
i.Djibouti Code of Conduct was adopted on 29th January 2009, which concerns the repression of privacy and armed robbery against ships in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
ii.India Signed the Djibouti Code of Conduct or Jeddah Amendment(DCOC/JA) as an Observer to boost the outreach of Indian Ocean Region.
Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW):
i.The Convention on STCW was adopted on 7th July 1978 which came into force in 1984.
ii.This was the first convention to establish basic requirements on training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers on an international level.
Events of 2020:
As a part of the celebration of World Maritime day 2020, IMO organised a debate on “Sustainable Shipping For A Sustainable Planet” featuring Kitack Lim, Secretary General of IMO, Frederick J.Kenney, Director of Legal and External Relations IMO along with other speakers.
About International Maritime Organisation (IMO):
Secretary General– Kitack Lim
Headquarters– London, United Kingdom
