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World Maritime Day 2013: Sustainable Development: IMO's contribution beyond Rio+20
The theme was chosen in order to focus IMO’s efforts during 2013 on carrying out the commitments made at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, better known as Rio+20, held in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.World Maritime Day 2013 is on Thursday, 26 September. This year's World Maritime Day Parallel Event will be held in Lima, Peru on Wednesday and Thursday, 2-3 October 2013.
A message from the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Mr. Koji Sekimizu
In
the future, mankind's development must be able not only to meet the
needs of the present, but also allow future generations to meet their
own needs. Our development must be sustainable.
The United Nations is taking the global level role in pushing
forward efforts to give substance to the concept of sustainable
development.
A significant landmark on the road to sustainable development was
laid down last year at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development (Rio+20) held in Rio de Janeiro, in June, 20 years after the
first of such conferences in the same city.
One of the main outcomes of the Rio+20 Conference was the agreement
by Member States to launch a process to develop Sustainable Development
Goals.
The World Maritime Day theme for 2013 is "Sustainable Development: IMO's contribution beyond Rio+20".
Central to any future development is the global supply chain, the
complex mechanism that enables today's inter-dependent, global economy
to function. The maritime sector is a vital link in that chain.
As the world's only really reliable, global, cost-effective and
energy-efficient mass transportation method for energy, materials, foods
and industrial products, maritime transport is central to sustainable
development. And the maritime transportation system itself must,
therefore, ensure that its development is also sustainable.
I include within this blanket term not just the operation of ships,
but all the activities that are vital to support shipping. Activities
such as the operation of maritime traffic management systems and global
communication systems, ports and multi-modal connections are all
components of this multi-faceted sector.
Also, shipbuilding and classification, ship registry and
administration, ship finance, ship repairing, ship recycling, the
education and training of seafarers, are all part of the system – as,
indeed, are search and rescue services, maritime security agencies,
coast guards and maritime law enforcement agencies and many others, too.
They all have a part to play in defining and achieving a sustainable
Maritime Transportation System.
The Maritime Transportation System already contributes
significantly to the three pillars of sustainable development – social,
environmental and economic. But how do we turn the concept of a
sustainable Maritime Transportation System into something tangible? The
first step is to identify some broad areas that we need to address if
sustainability is to be achieved. Safety; environmental protection;
efficient operation; security; and resource conservation are some of the
main areas where we will need to focus.
My colleagues and I in the IMO Secretariat are working with
industry partners and others on a concept of a sustainable Maritime
Transportation System. On World Maritime Day, I will invite interested
Member States and organizations to discuss the concept at a symposium.
This initiative will be my own contribution to celebrating this year's World Maritime Day.
And, because the Maritime Transportation System is so essential to
the continued development and future growth of the world economy, IMO
will continue to take the lead in supporting it with the appropriate
global standards and by helping to promote, through technical
co-operation, the necessary national maritime transportation policies
and institutional frameworks for a sustainable Maritime Transportation
System.
Our understanding of sustainable development today embraces a
concern both for the capacity of the earth's natural systems, and for
the social, economic and cultural challenges faced by humanity.
This year's World Maritime Day theme will highlight the importance
of the Maritime Transportation System and provide an opportunity to
discuss this matter further.
World Maritime Day 2013 icons
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