Statement by IMO Secretary-General, Kitack Lim

‘Today, on 28 April, we celebrate World Day for Safety and Health at Work. This has always been an important day for the maritime sector and for the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is responsible for the safety and security of shipping. This day is particularly significant in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

While everyone around the world has been impacted by the pandemic to some extent, this crisis has taken a particularly hard toll on seafarers, who have continued to operate as key workers in the global supply chain. On any given day, one million seafarers are working on some 60,000 large cargo vessels worldwide to ensure the flow of international trade. Much of IMO’s important work centres on keeping these seafarers, and the ships they operate, safe and secure.’