World Maritime Day 2021: Check theme, history and why the day is significant for maritime industry?

World Maritime Day 2021: The World Maritime Day is observed every year by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The individual governments around the world choose the precise day to celebrate Maritime day, however, it is normally observed during the final week of September and usually on the last Thursday of the month. World Maritime Day 2021 is observed on September 30.

The World Maritime Day is observed to raise awareness towards maritime safety and the marine environment as well as the initiatives taken by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in this particular area. The easy access of maritime products which are often expedited by those who are involved in the maritime industry goes unnoticed by many.

World Maritime Day 2021 highlights the contribution made by the Maritime industry without which the world economy will not be able to function.

Greetings on #WorldMaritimeDay. Seafarers form an essential part of the shipping industry, which transports more than 80% of global trade. My salutations to the seafaring community and all stakeholders of the industry on this occasion. pic.twitter.com/txCxnkTJd0

— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) September 30, 2021

World Maritime Day Theme 2021

International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has declared the theme of World Maritime 2021 to be “Seafarers: at the core of Shipping’s future”.

The theme by IMO aims at extending the visibility of the seafarers by highlighting the significant role that they play currently and will continue to play in the near future.

Spotlighting the role of seafarers on #WorldMaritimeDay https://t.co/0qrjP8qYQi pic.twitter.com/QyZXEgjQ7T

— IMO (@IMOHQ) September 29, 2021

World Maritime Day History

The international conference in Geneva in 1948 had passed a convention establishing the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that maintains as well as develops a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping.

On March 17, 1978, the International Maritime Organisation first celebrated World Maritime Day.

IMO took the name Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO) in 1982. The key objective of the Maritime Organisation is to focus on the areas such as environmental issues, safety, technical cooperation, legal issues, maritime efficiency, and maritime safety.

World Maritime Day 2021 Significance

The World Maritime Day in 2021 will be observed as a year of action for the seafarers, who have been facing hardships due to COVID-19, despite playing a significant role as key workers for the global supply chain.

The focus on seafarers has become more vital as the pandemic has placed extraordinary demands on the seafarers, with hundreds and thousands of men and women stranded on the ships for months and unable to be repatriated because of the national level restrictions.

In 2021, World Maritime Day will put on a spotlight on various other issues related to the human element of shipping including the well-being of seafarers, safety and security of the life on board ships, and the importance of ensuring a qualified and trained workforce.