The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is galvanizing stakeholders for a celebration to mark the 2014 ‘Day Of The Seafarer’ in Calabar, Cross Rivers state.
The event is expected to be graced by private and public sector players in the nation’s maritime sector, including government officials and workers.
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is galvanizing stakeholders for a celebration to mark the 2014 ‘Day Of The Seafarer’ in Calabar, Cross Rivers state.
The event is expected to be graced by private and public sector players in the nation’s maritime sector, including government officials and workers.
With some 90% of global trade transported by sea, developed nations would simply come to a standstill without seafarers. Much of what we do everyday relies on goods brought by sea – whether it is for energy such as fuel for our cars and airports, or gas for generating electricity, or indeed for millions of items that we take for granted.
June 25 of every year is the "Day of the Seafarer", the day is set aside to recognise the invaluable contributions seafarers make to international trade and the world economy, often at great personal cost to themselves and their families.
Governments, shipping organizations, companies, shipowners and all other parties concerned are invited to promote and celebrate the Day in an appropriate and meaningful manner.
The Day of the Seafarer was first celebrated in 2011, following its establishment by a resolution adopted by the Conference of Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, held in Manila, Philippines, in June 2010, which adopted major revisions to the STCW Convention and Code.
The Day of the Seafarer has now been included in the annual list of United Nations Observances.
The first celebration in 2011, took the form of an online campaign, in which IMO asked everyone to voice their support using social networks. On the Day of the Seafarer in 2011, the IMO asked people around the globe to say “Thank you seafarers” on Facebook, via tweets, by posting a video on YouTube, discussing on LinkedIn, or even writing an inspirational blog.
The Day of the Seafarer provides an opportunity to pay tribute to the world’s 1.5 million seafarers for the unique and all-too-often overlooked contribution to the well-being of the general public, and we would like to do it using as many social media networks as possible.
By generating interaction on the web about seafarers, we want to show respect, recognition and gratitude to seafarers everywhere. The universal outreach of social media will raise awareness of the vital role that seafarers play in the world economy and, in many respects, in sustainable development, enabling ships to carry than 90% of world trade safely, efficiently and with minimal impact on the environment.
The Day of the Seafarer is also an opportunity to educate the public about issues facing the modern-day seafarer – issues such as piracy. But, most importantly, it is the occasion for us, the world, to say “Thank you, seafarers.”
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