The Liberia Maritime Authority joins the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to celebrate World Maritime Day today, Friday, September 29.
Initially celebrated in 1978, the Day is meant to raise awareness about the importance of the maritime shipping industry and the vital contributions it makes to global growth and transformation.
According to the Liberia Maritime Authority, World Maritime Day was first celebrated on March 17, 1978, to mark the date of the IMO Convention’s entry into force in 1958. Since then, it has been commemorated on the 28th day of September each year.
This year’s Maritime Day theme, “MARPOL at 50: Our Commitment Goes On,” speaks to the IMO’s long history of protecting the environment from the impacts of marine shipping via a robust regulatory framework.
The theme spotlights the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), a convention which speaks to the prevention of pollution of the marine environment by seagoing vessels—a convention which is linked to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
LiMA notes in a release that it is self-evident that a great deal has changed in the shipping industry since the MARPOL Convention was adopted 50 years ago, but the IMO’s overarching commitment to protecting and preserving the ocean’s rich and complex ecosystems and environment has remained steady and unflinching, saying “this year’s World Maritime theme gives everyone in the industry a great opportunity to celebrate this legacy in style as we create a greener, more sustainable future.”
At the time of its establishment, the London-based organization, which is the mainstay of the ocean business, had 21 member states. Today, the IMO is comprised of 175 countries, three associate members, and various intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Meanwhile, as MARPOL turns 50 on this singular World Maritime Day, the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) congratulates and salutes Secretary-General Kitack Lam and all member states and associate member organizations. Press Release
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