MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

World Maritime Day 2017 IMO

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced that June 25 would be the “Day of the Seafarer 2017,” under the theme, “Seafarers Matter.”

 In a video message, IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim encouraged ports and seafarer centers around the world to show how they help support seafarers.

The IMO is promoting several initiatives to engage the people working in ports and seafarer centers, Lim said.

A Twitter hashtag, #SeafarersMatter, has been created to help share information about the event and related programs, and the IMO also unveiled a new Day of the Seafarer logo.

“The Day of the Seafarer logo seeks to celebrate those people working in the industry, making it clear that seafaring is inclusive and a career at sea is suitable for both men and women,” the IMO said in a separate statement.

The organization also said it was launching an interactive world map that will feature the best port and seafarer centers from around the world to highlight best practices in seafarer support and welfare.

Other features the IMO is posting to its website for the Day of the Seafarer are a challenging trivia quiz and a virtual photowall, it added.

Lim said, “It’s easy for seafarers to feel lonely and isolated, to imagine that they don’t matter. For the 2017 campaign, we want to engage with ports to show their support for seafarers in imaginative and interesting ways.”