Message by Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization The 25th of June marks the annual Day of the Seafarer. It gives us the opportunity to focus once again on how important these unsung heroes are to all of us, in our everyday lives, and to reflect on just how much we rely on their services. Almost 90 per cent of world trade is transported by sea, in ships. Ships carry food, fuel, raw materials, commodities and goods on which we all depend. Seaborne trade facilitates the global economy and it is no exaggeration to say that almost everything we touch has, at some point in its existence, been transported by sea or derived from something that was transported by sea. Today we acknowledge the seafarers who operate... View more
