IMO to pay tribute to seafarer contributions in 2010

THE Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), meeting for its 102nd session in London, has revealed that next year's theme for World Maritime Day will be "2010: Year of the Seafarer."

"The unique hazards confronting the 1.5 million seafarers of the world, including pirate attacks, unwarranted detention and abandonment, coupled with the predicted looming shortage of ships' officers, make it ever more incumbent to take immediate and effective action to forestall a situation from developing in which ships are not manned with sufficient skilled personnel," said IMO secretary general Efthimios Mitropoulos.

The theme, to be celebrated throughout the year and also at a parallel World Maritime Day event in Argentina, 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, an IMO statement said.

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 Organisation, the "Round Table" of shipping industry organisations and the International Transport Workers' Federation.

Source: News and Data Online