International Maritime Organization (IMO is gearing up for its annual campaign to mark the Day of the Seafarer, an official United Nations observance day held each year on 25th June.
The purpose of the Day is to celebrate the unsung heroes of shipping, the industry which underpins global trade on which we all rely to transport food, fuel, commodities, raw materials and goods around the world.
As in previous years, the campaign is centred on social media. This year, the theme being used across all platforms is: "At Sea for All".
It emphasizes the fact that seafarers serve at sea not just for the shipping industry or for their own career purposes, but for all of us. Like shipping itself, seafarers are indispensable to the world.
In his annual message for Day of the Seafarer, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said: "this year, on the Day of the Seafarer, we are once again asking people everywhere to show their appreciation for the seafarers that quietly, mostly unnoticed, keep the wheels of the world in motion".
New features for this year’s campaign this year include a Twitter Thunderclap, designed to launch the day with a powerful message that should reach far beyond shipping itself.
Seafarers and others are also invited to share their photos depicting a life at sea on IMO’s online “Photo Wall’, a webpage designed to showcase the rich and varied opportunities that a life at sea can offer.
And, this year, IMO is adding Instagram to the campaign tools, providing another opportunity to post and share images that capture the importance of seafarers to all of us.