On Christmas Eve IMO announced that it had decided to dedicate the year 2010 to
the world’s seafarers by choosing, as the theme for World Maritime Day, “2010:
Year of the Seafarer”.

In the words of Admiral Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of IMO, “Our intention is to pay tribute to you, the world’s 1.5 million seafarers ? men and women from all over the globe ? for the unique, and all too often over-looked, contribution you make to the wellbeing of all of us.”

“We will do so with deep appreciation, in recognition of the extraordinary service you render every day of your professional life, frequently under dangerous circumstances, in delivering, to the more than 6.5 billion people of the world, the wheat that makes our daily bread, the gas and oil that warms our homes or moves our vehicles and the gifts we will share and enjoy with our families and friends over this Festive Season.”