25 June 2013: June 25th marks the third international Day of the Seafarer, an official
United Nations observance day. This year, International Maritime Organization (IMO)
is celebrating the occasion with a social media campaign calling on all supply chain
partners, including those beyond the maritime sector, to help highlight the sheer
diversity and scale of products used in everyday life that travel by sea, and to recognize
the importance of the people that deliver them; more than 1.5 million seafarers.
In his annual Day of the Seafarer message, IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu
said, “Seafarers operate on the ‘front line’ of the shipping industry, and this year’s
campaign theme, Faces of the Sea, aims to highlight the individuals that are
often unseen, but who work to deliver more than 90% of the world’s goods. We will
ask the seafarers themselves to show us snapshots of their daily life at sea, to give
them a voice and share their story on a global stage, via social media”.
Mr.
Sekimizu noted that 2013 is a landmark year for the seafaring community, as the Maritime
Labour Convention (MLC 2006) enters into force in August. “This marks significant
progress in the recognition of seafarers’ roles and the need to safeguard their well-being
and working conditions,” he said.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also highlighted
the Day of the Seafarer, with a special message urging everyone to remember the contribution
of seafarers to world trade and development.
“On the Day of the Seafarer,
I urge everyone to spare a thought for those courageous seafarers, men and women from
all corners of the world, who face danger and tough working conditions to operate
today’s complex, highly technical ships, every hour of every day of the year – and
on whom we all depend,” he said. Source: www.imo.org