IMO Names World Maritime Day 2016 Theme "Shipping: Indispensable to the World"

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday January 20, 2016

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has announced that the theme of World Maritime Day 2016 will be "Shipping: indispensable to the world."

"Without shipping the import and export of goods on the scale necessary to sustain the modern world would not be possible," stated the IMO, noting that the international shipping industry carries about 90 percent of all global trade.

The IMO says that expanding seaborne trade brings benefits to international consumers through competitive freight costs.

The organisation explains that the theme was chosen to highlight the "critical link" between global society and shipping, as well as to increase awareness of the relevance of IMO's role as international shipping's global regulatory body.

"The importance of shipping to support and sustain today's global society gives IMO's work a significance that reaches far beyond the industry itself," said the IMO.

The IMO says that World Maritime Day will be celebrated on September 29, 2016 at IMO's headquarters, but notes that other events and activities featuring the theme will be held throughout the year, including the World Maritime Day Parallel Event set to be held in Turkey in November.

In December, Ship & Bunker reported that the IMO welcomed the climate deal that was reached at the COP21 talks in Paris, saying it is now "full speed ahead with climate-change measures."