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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.
In 2011, the celebration 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, we 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.” We encourage everyone to participate in this worldwide effort by celebrating and joining us on the web: so please if you want to get involved, take action and download the toolkit featured on this page.
