Photo credit: Port of Vancouver
Happy World Maritime Day!
The International Maritime Organization’s World Maritime Day is an official United Nations day of observance in recognition of the important role international shipping has on the global economy.
This year’s theme is “Shipping: indispensable to the world”, chosen to focus on the critical link between shipping and global society. This year the IMO is also taking the opportunity to raise awareness of the relevance of the role of IMO as the global regulatory body for international shipping.
According to the United Nations, about 80 percent of global trade by volume and over 70 percent of global trade by value are carried by sea and are handled by ports worldwide.
Currently there are more than 50,000 merchant ships trading internationally, which are registered in over 150 nations and manned by more than a million seafarers of just about every nationality.
World Maritime Day 2016 is being celebrated at IMO Headquarters today, September 29, 2016, as well as online by asking people to share online using #WorldMaritimeDay. Here’s a roundup of what people are saying:
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