The International Maritime Day of 2024, celebrated on September 26, highlighted the importance of the maritime industry in global trade and the planet’s sustainability. This event, organized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), aimed to raise awareness about the challenges and opportunities faced by the maritime sector while promoting the IMO’s goals in terms of safety, efficiency, and environmental protection.
The IMO, as a specialized agency of the United Nations, plays a key role in regulating global maritime transport, which is responsible for over 80% of international trade. The 2024 theme, “Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Shipping,” emphasized the need to adopt practices that reduced the environmental impact of maritime operations and encouraged the participation of all countries, especially developing economies.
One of the IMO’s main objectives for 2024 is to advance the decarbonization of the maritime sector. In line with the Paris Agreements and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the organization sought to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships by 50% by 2050. To achieve this, the IMO has promoted the use of cleaner technologies, such as alternative fuels and more efficient propulsion systems, along with stricter energy efficiency regulations.
Another key focus for 2024 was gender inclusion and equity in the maritime sector. The IMO launched initiatives to promote the participation of women in the industry, which has traditionally been male-dominated. Additionally, the organization continued to push for capacity-building in developing countries to help them adopt and comply with international regulations ensuring the safety and sustainability of their fleets.mar
The International Maritime Day of 2024 was a crucial opportunity to assess the progress made on these goals and to continue working towards a greener, more inclusive, and safer future in global maritime transport. International cooperation and technological innovation were essential to meeting the ambitious targets set by the IMO, ensuring the maritime industry remained a key pillar of global trade.
