By
Alex Smith |
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the global maritime community are today celebrating World Maritime Day 2020, which this year is focused upon the theme of ‘Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet’.
“In the post-Covid world, much focus will be directed at the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by all UN Member States in 2015,” said Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the IMO. “These goals are as relevant as ever, and shipping is essential for sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda will only be realised with a sustainable transport sector supporting world trade and facilitating the global economy."
The role of sustainable shipping was highlighted during an online event hosted by the IMO at 10:30 am BST on 24 September. A separate event is then being hosted at 2:30 pm BST by the United Nations Global Compact, IMO and International Labour Organization, in collaboration with the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Transport Workers’ Federation. The event will bring together the heads of UN agencies, governments and shipowners and seafarer representatives to discuss the 800,000 seafarers left stranded on vessels or unable to return to ships during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I remain very concerned about the growing humanitarian and safety crisis facing hundreds of thousands of these indispensable workers,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “I renew my appeal to governments to address their plight by formally designating seafarers and other marine personnel as ‘key workers’, ensuring safe crew changes and implementing the protocols developed by United Nations agencies, as well as the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Transport Workers’ Federation, allowing stranded seafarers to be repatriated and others to join ships."