WORLD MARITIME DAY 2021

WIMAC’s World Maritime Day 2021 Gallery of Sheroes and Beacons

THE IMO headquarters will be lit blue on World Maritime Day, September 30, 2021, as part of efforts to highlight seafarers and their core role in shipping and its future. Going forward, the IMO building, including the Seafarer Memorial, will be bathed in blue light on each World Maritime Day as a symbolic initiative to unite the maritime community and raise awareness of the vital contribution of shipping to the world.

IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim has also extended the invitation to IMO member states, inter-governmental organisations and nongovernmental organisations in consultative status to join in this annual initiative by lighting up their most iconic buildings, bridges, maritime ports, ships, monuments, museums and other landmarks on World Maritime Day each year.

Social media participation is encouraged, including via Twitter, to share images using #WorldMaritimeDay. Photographs can also be sent to media@imo.org.

ABOUT WORLD MARITIME DAY 2021

The IMO has chosen to make 2021 a year of action for seafarers, who are facing unprecedented hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic, despite their vital role as key workers for global supply chains.

The World Maritime theme for 2021, ‘Seafarers: At the core of shipping’s future’, seeks to increase the visibility of seafarers by drawing attention to the invaluable role they play now and will continue to play in the future.

The focus on seafarers comes as the COVID19 pandemic has placed extraordinary demands on seafarers, with hundreds of thousands of men and women stranded on ships for months beyond their original contracts, unable to be repatriated due to national travel restrictions. A similar number of seafarers are unable to join ships and earn a living. This crew-change crisis, which has been ongoing for nearly a year, is a humanitarian emergency that threatens the safety of shipping.

Throughout the year, the World Maritime theme will also put the spotlight on other issues related to the human element of shipping, including the safety and security of life on- board ships, seafarers’ well-being, and the importance of ensuring an appropriately trained and qualified workforce, ready to meet the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation and automation.

Tanya Carlucci, Panama, vice-president of the Maritime and Logistics Commission, honoured this year for her distinguished work by the National Association of Lawyers, Panama.

KemiA.Linton,tradeandprojectdevelopment professional, Barbados, spearheading the establishment of the Women in Maritime Association, Barbados.

The more recent of only two female directors of a Caribbean maritime administration, Ms Thecla Joseph, Turks and Caicos Islands.

Sandra Casanova, logistics, supply chain and transport professional, Martinique, and newly appointed to the local governing body.

Carla Bikker, acting director, Regional Marine Pollution Emergency, Information and Training Centre–CaribeRAC/REMPEITC-Caribe,Curacao.

Ann-MarieChapman,firstfemalemarinepilotin TrinidadandTobagoandthewiderCaribbean.

Jennifer Nugent-Hill, director of government and community affairs, Tropical Shipping, USA.

Annette Garel, senior deputy registrar, InternationalMerchantMarineRegistryofBelize.

Renée Jodhan, Trinidad and Tobago, first and youngest female tugboat captain.

Milaika Capella Ras, general manager, Caribbean Shipping Association.