The
Assembly of Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO, now
IMO) at its tenth regular session held in November 1977, decided to institute a
World Maritime Day to
be observed annually on 17 March, the anniversary of the date of entry into
force in 1958 of the Convention establishing the IMCO.
The first World Maritime Day was dedicated to the
Promotion of the Safety, Welfare and Training of Seafarers and all who operate
on or in connection with ships. With this in view, IMCO adopted "Safety of
life at sea" for celebration of the First World Maritime Day. Programmes
and events high lighted the work and activities of IMCO aimed at improving
safety at sea and the development of procedures and the training of ships
personnel designed to ensure the safest handling and management of ships,
crews, cargoes and passengers.
The Second World Maritime Day, celebrated on
It has now been decided by IM(C)O
that World Maritime Day will be celebrated every year in the last week of September.
The actual date will be left to individual member governments.
To mark the occasion, the
Secretary-General of IMO always prepares a special message and this is backed
up by a paper which discusses the selected subject in greater depth.
1978 Safety of
life at sea (IMCO 30th anniversary)
1979 Safer
shipping and cleaner oceans
1997 Optimum
maritime safety demands a focus on people
1998 Shipping
and the oceans (IMO 50th anniversary)
1999 IMO and
the new millennium
2000 Building
maritime partnerships
2001 Globalization
and the role of the seafarer
2002 Safer
shipping demands a safety culture
2003 Committed
people working for safe, secure and clean seas
2004 Focus on
maritime security
2005 International
shipping - Carrier of world trade
2006 Technical
co-operation: IMO's response to the 2005 World Summit
2007 IMO's response to current environmental challenges
2008 IMO: 60 years
in the service of shipping
2009 Climate
change: a challenge for IMO too!
Link
The World Maritime Day section on the IMO
website.
Stamp catalogue - 1978
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Stamp catalogue - 1979
German
Democratic Republic
last revised: