NEW YORK – UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on Wednesday said seaborne trade was the engine room of the global economy.
Ban, therefore, called on people everywhere to recognise the seafarers who with quiet dedication keep the wheels of the world in motion.
Ban, in his message to mark the Day of the Seafarer, noted that “ports all around the world are busy, never-sleeping hubs where ships are ready to sail toward new destinations with cargoes containing a great amount of people’s daily goods.’’
“Without shipping, the bulk transport of vital raw materials, affordable food and manufactured goods would simply not be possible.
“The role of seafarers in ensuring that the benefits of globalisation can be more evenly distributed.
“Working on ships transporting cargo is often hard and challenging.
“Seafarers are likely to spend many hours with tough living conditions and with limited opportunities for social interaction or relaxation,’’ he stated.
He said that the event underlined the importance of this type of job and stressed the challenges that seafarers face on a daily basis.
The UN chief also said that seafarer often have to deal with difficult weather conditions and with the constant threat of piracy and shipwrecking.
“Over many years, the UN, through the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and other agencies, strove to make seafaring a safer occupation and shipping a greener and cleaner industry.
“Seafarers themselves seek to implement and maintain the highest possible safety and environmental standards,’’ Ban said.
According to Ban, the maritime transport industry is central to the livelihoods of billions of people and the industry, in turn, relies on seafarers.
“Without them, international trade would grind to a halt.
“On the Day of the Seafarer, I ask people everywhere to recognise the seafarers who, with quiet dedication, keep the wheels of the world in motion,’’ he added.
In his message, IMO Secretary-General, Koji Sekimizu, said: “On the 2013 Day, the annual campaign led by the IMO was particularly successful, urging people to express appreciation for seafarers.
“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,’’ Sekimizu stated.
He noted that online platforms could be successful paths to raise awareness about the lives of seafarers.
Sekimizu said that it could also be used to discuss the issues affecting their jobs and they could also spotlight the huge amounts of goods that had been delivered worldwide thanks to their hard work.
“By doing so, you will be adding your voice to the millions of others who work so hard, in the face of great hardship, to make our lives better,’’ he concluded. (PANA/NAN)
