Every year the International Maritime Organization (IMO) observes World Maritime Day during the last week of September. The IMO headquarters is celebrating today, Thursday, September 24th, though in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Vancouver, Canada, they will be celebrating the event on October 7-8th and November 17-18th respectively. In Singapore the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union and the Singapore Organisation of Seamen will be distributing hampers containing food movies, and caps to 12,000 sailors on more than 600 ships.
In London, a group representing shipping “stakeholders” – shipowners, managers, underwriters, traders and trade unions – is presenting a petition signed by almost a million demanding action to end piracy. In this the “Year of the Seafarer,” 354 seafarers and 16 ships are being held hostage by pirates in Somalia.
Action to end piracy demanded on World Maritime Day
An action group representing stakeholders from the entire shipping industry, from crews to owners, today presented a petition signed by nearly a million (920,000) people to the IMO and governments worldwide calling for real action to end Somali piracy.
Today is the UN-designated World Maritime Day and the when the petition was launched four months ago the target was gather half-a-million signatures by this date. It has far exceeded that figure and ‘definitively proves that immediate action is needed,’ say the petition organisers.
The anti-piracy campaign underthe slogan ‘Enough is enough’ is led by BIMCO, ICS, IFSMA, IMEC, IPTA, Intercargo, InterManager, International Group of P&I Clubs, INTERTANKO, ISF, ITF, IUMI and SIGTTO, and is being actively supported by national shipowners’ associations and trade unions worldwide and by the ASF, ECSA, ICMA and ICSW.
At a time when 354 seafarers and 16 ships are being held hostage by pirates in Somalia, the campaign calls on governments to:
• Dedicate significant resources and work to find real solutions to the growing piracy problem
• Take immediate steps to secure the release and safe return of kidnapped seafarers to their families
• Work within the international community to secure a stable and peaceful future for Somalia and its people.
this years theme is timely and perfect. the maritime indusrty faces new emerging threats of piracy and terrorism especially on the gulf of eden. international community shpuld put more emphasis on this issue