2010 – “Year of the Seafarer”

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) agreed during its recent session that next year’s theme for World Maritime Day will be “2010: Year of the Seafarer” as proposed by IMO Secretary General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos.

In the meeting in London last June 29 to July 3, IMO said the theme was selected to give IMO and the international maritime community the opportunity to pay tribute to the world’s  seafarers for their unique contribution to society and in recognition of the risks they shoulder in the execution of their duties in an often hostile environment.

The theme complements IMO’s ongoing “Go to Sea!” campaign to attract new entrants to the shipping industry, which was launched in November 2008 in association with the International Labour Organization, the “Round Table” of shipping industry organizations and the International Transport Workers’ Federation. 

It further stated that it is also in line with the comprehensive review, initiated in 2006 of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) 1978 and its associated Code, updated texts of which are due to be considered by a Diplomatic Conference scheduled to be held in Manila, Philippines, in mid-2010. Once adopted, the proposed amendments to the STCW Convention and Code will provide the necessary global standards for the training and certification of seafarers to man technologically advance ships, today and for some time to come.

Source: Seaway Shipping Digest – July 2009