The Day of the Seafarer celebrates the 1.5 million seafarers who serve at sea around the world every single day. This day is observed every year on June 25th to value seafarers and their contributions.
The ultimate aim of Day of the Seafarer is to raise awareness and bring to attention the importance of seafarers and how indispensable they are to all of us.
This year, International Seafarers Day will honour the unique contributions that seafarers from all around the world have made to global commerce, the economy, and civil society as a whole.
This campaign offers seafarers the ability to express what is currently on their minds, whether it is an ongoing crew change dilemma or the direction that technology is headed in.
Although each seafarer's voyage is unique, they all encounter similar difficulties. The Day of the Seafarers campaign for 2022, with the theme "Your voyage - then and now, share your adventure," aims to examine seafarer voyages, what they include, how they have changed over time, and what has remained at the core of seafarers' reality.
This day is designated by the United Nations as a day of observance, a day for everyone to recognise the crucial part that seafarers play in our global society.
The establishment of this day dates back more than a decade ago. An international convention held in Manila in 2010 approved a resolution that led to the creation of the Day of the Seafarer. The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) was majorly revised to ensure the Day of the Seafarer was observed as part of this.
The original STCW was established to guarantee an international standard of competency and welfare for seafarers, for their safety. The convention's goal was to acknowledge the contribution that seafarers made to world society and the economy.
The resolution calls on governments, shipping companies, businesses involved in maritime commerce, and others to support and promote maritime trade and seafarers on International Day of the Seafarer.
The day promotes discussion about seafarers, seafaring, and the welfare of those involved in it on a global public and official level. Interactive media related to the Day of the Seafarer have proven to be very popular around the world, including quizzes, interactive maps, videos, and photo galleries, as well as social media hashtags and discussions. The day intends to have activities both online and in ports and seafarer centres.
The first commemoration of this day took place in 2011 when the IMO (International Maritime Organization) asked everyone to express their support via social media. On the International Day of the Seafarer IMO asked people all over the world to say thank you to seafarers on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, or by writing an inspirational blog.
Talking about the Day of the Seafarer, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Seafarers worldwide have faced immense challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic — including contracts extended long beyond their expiry dates and maximum periods of service, and challenges related to vaccinations, medical care and shore leave.
This year’s theme — “Your Voyage, Then and Now” — is an opportunity to recognize the vital role seafarers play, and look to the future.
“Above all, this means listening to seafarers themselves. They know better than anyone their needs and what this industry needs to do to address key challenges. This includes the expansion of social protection, better working conditions, addressing the crew-change crisis, adopting new digital tools to enhance safety and efficiency, and making this industry greener and more sustainable,” he continued.
Sea And Coast