Tag: World Maritime Day

Titanic remembered by IMO Secretary-General

Recognising Seafarers Contributions on World Maritime Day

World Maritime Day Message 2012

Selected as World Maritime Day theme for 2013 The IMO Council has endorsed a proposal by IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu to adopt "Sustainable Development: IMO's contribution beyond Rio+20" as the World Maritime Day theme for 2013.The theme was chosen in order to focus IMO's efforts during 2013 on the commitments to be made at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, better known as Rio+20, to be held from 20 to 22 June in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Addressing the IMO Council, meeting for its 108th session in London, Mr. Sekimizu said that IMO would renew its commitment to sustainable maritime development at Rio+20."Twenty years ago, the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio adopted the so-called 'Agenda 21', which included a set of recommendations related to shipping and the role of IMO. IMO's response to Agenda 21 has, over the years, been both multifaceted and robust," Mr. Sekimizu said."The two main themes of Rio+20 are the creation of a 'green economy' and a new institutional framework for sustainable development. Key elements of sustainable shipping include energy efficiency, new technology and innovation, maritime education and training, maritime security, maritime traffic management and the development of maritime infrastructure in both ...

On 27 September 2012, IMO Headquarters Every year IMO celebrates World Maritime Day. The exact date is left to individual Governments but is usually celebrated during the last week in September.The day is used to focus attention on the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment and to emphasize a particular aspect of IMO's work.World Maritime Day 2012 will be observed during the week of 24 to 28 September.The 2012 World Maritime Day Parallel Event will be held in Bahrain on 17 and 18 October 2012.For more information please click hereSource: IMO

World Maritime Day 2012 The IMO Council, at its 106th session in June 2011,endorsed a proposal by IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos to adopt "IMO: One hundred years after the Titanic" as the World Maritime Day theme for 2012, in order to focus onthe Organization's roots and raison d'être, i.e. safety of life at sea.One of the consequences of the sinking, in 1912, of the Titanic, in which 1,503 people lost their lives, was the adoption, two years later, of the first International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (the SOLAS Convention).The 1914 version of the Convention was gradually superseded, respectively, by SOLAS 1929, SOLAS 1948, SOLAS 1960 (the first adopted under the auspices of IMO, then known as IMCO) and SOLAS 1974. SOLAS 1974 is still in force today, amended and updated many times.The themeprovides an opportunity to:-take stock of improvements in maritime safety during the 100 years since the sinking of the Titanic;-pay tribute to the memory of those, who lost their lives in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic on that fatal night of 14 April 1912;-highlight that the sacrifice of so many of the Titanic (passengers and crew) has not gone in vain;-examine whether ...

Palazzo Colonna in Rome - 13 and 14 October 2011 The Palazzo Colonna in Rome was the venue for the 2011 IMO World Maritime Day Parallel Event, on 13 and 14 October 2011, focusing on this year's World Maritime Day theme - "Piracy: orchestrating the response".On 13 October, a seminar was organized, with sessions devoted to "Anti-Piracy Measures and Best Practices" and "International Co-operation against Piracy".Among those addressing the meeting were Mr. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, IMO Secretary-General; Mr. Koji Sekimizu, Director, Maritime Safety Division, IMO; Vice Minister Roberto Castelli, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Italy; Undersecretary Alfredo Mantica, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy; Admiral Bruno Branciforte, Chief of the Italian Navy; Vice Admiral Marco Brusco, Commandant of the Italian Coast Guard; and representatives from other organizations, including, inter alia, the United Nations World Food Program and the Apostleship of the Sea.In his closing remarks, Secretary-General Mitropoulos thanked the Government of Italy and the Italian Shipowners' Confederation for successfully hosting the 2011 edition of the World Maritime Day Parallel Event, and for organizing such an insightful and stimulating programme of events, adding that, as this seminar had confirmed, much more needs to be done if the ultimate goal of consigning piracy ...

Piracy estimated cost is between $7 and $12 billion Last week was World Maritime Day 2011, a day in which we recognize the maritime industry's contribution towards the world's economy. While there are many challenges and successes to take note of, there is one particular issue generating a worldwide rallying call - the threat of piracy.At an annual cost now estimated to be between $7 and $12 billion, piracy is a global issue requiring a global response. With this threat of piracy in mind, the International Maritime Organization chose this year's World Maritime Day theme to reflect how nations must work together in "orchestrating the response."We often hear of pirates attacking in the Indian Ocean, but piracy affects countless bodies of water and places around the world. Regardless of where an attack takes place, piracy is a threat to cargo, ships and most importantly the lives of those at sea. Eliminating piracy and other transnational threats requires international cooperation.To prevent attacks, the Coast Guard and the international community continue to develop methods of deterrence. Commercial U.S. ships are required to assess and plan for various safety and security threats, including piracy. This plan, known as a vessel security plan, outlines ...

29 September 2011 marks the 34th celebration of World Maritime Day Today (29 September 2011) marks the 34th celebration of World Maritime Day. This year's theme is: "Piracy: orchestrating the response", a theme chosen by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to provide the international community and the shipping industry with an opportunity to highlight and reflect upon the efforts made to meet the challenges of modern-day piracy.In his World Maritime Day message, IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos said that the United Nations, alliances (political and defence) of States, Governments acting collectively or individually, military forces, shipping companies, ship operators and ships' crews, all had a crucial part to play in order to rid the world of the threat posed by piracy in the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean."To alleviate this unacceptable situation, no effort should be spared. Shipping companies must ensure that their ships rigorously apply the IMO guidance and industry-developed Best Management Practices in their entirety, so that, when venturing into the western Indian Ocean region, they comply with all the recommended measures: no ship is invulnerable, in particular those with relatively low freeboards and slow steaming speeds. And Governments need to back up their oft-stated concern over ...

ICS says that the principal concern of the shipping industry is humanitarian To mark the occasion of IMO World Maritime Day and this year's chosen theme, the piracy crisis in the Indian Ocean, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents 80% of the world merchant fleet, has produced a special brochure.The brochure is intended to reiterate the urgent need for governments to do more to protect merchant shipping from being attacked by Somali pirates, with over 3,000 seafarers having so far been held hostage for ransom, and up to 60 having lost their lives.The ICS brochure explains that the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency responsible for safety of life at sea, has had a pivotal role in orchestrating the response of the international community to the scourge of piracy, which is the theme of IMO World Maritime Day 2011. In co-operation with the shipping industry, IMO has been instrumental in bringing the seriousness of the crisis to the attention of the UN Security Council. However, the piracy crisis in the Indian Ocean has continued to spiral out of control.ICS expresses appreciation for the efforts of IMO Member States and military navies to protect merchant ships and ...