The International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS) is joining the global community in celebrating World Maritime Day 2024 – Navigating the future: Safety first!
This year’s theme recognises that safety remains paramount in such a changing environment, whether it pertains to seafarers handling new green fuels, safeguarding passengers in the latest cruise ships, regulating AI-managed autonomous ships or ensuring cybersecurity in a digital world.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
SOLAS was first adopted in 1914, in response to the Titanic disaster. It is widely recognized as the most important international treaty on maritime safety.
The Convention in force today was adopted on 1 November 1974. It contains 15 chapters covering key topics, such as life-saving appliances and arrangements, distress and safety communications and carriage of dangerous goods and many more.
IIMS is passionate about raising the standards of the marine surveying industry, and it is committed to improving the maritime safety through sharing information to a wide audience involved in the sector.
The Institute achieves this with a monthly news bulletin, mid-month marine communiqué, quarterly magazine –The Report – and with an annual Safety & Loss Prevention Briefings Compendium. The 2024 edition of the Compendium is set to be published at the end of the year.
IIMS CEO, Mike Schwarz, said, “Marking the 50th anniversary of the current convention of SOLAS is an important milestone and there is no doubt it has contributed greatly to enhanced maritime safety. However, there is still much work to do as the number of unintended maritime injuries and deaths remains too high. On World Maritime Day 2024, my message is that the marine surveyor must continue to play a vital and pivotal role as part of their work in helping to keep lives, assets and cargoes safe at seas.”
In celebration of World Maritime Day, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Headquarters will be bathed in blue light in the evening of the day to promote this year’s theme.
Secretary-General of IMO, Arsenio Dominguez said: “2024 marks 50 years since the SOLAS treaty was adopted. We can be proud of the crucial role this convention has played in setting international safety standards for ship construction, equipment, and operation, preventing maritime disasters and protecting lives. But we cannot be complacent. World Maritime Day calls for collective effort to ensure we keep pace with the ongoing transformation in shipping.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said: “Today, the maritime sector is undergoing a profound transformation as it steers towards greater digitalization, automation and decarbonization. New technologies and designs offer the opportunity to make important contributions to climate action. I count on the commitment of regulators, seafarers and ship operators alike.”
