The 2025 World Maritime Day theme reflects the central role of shipping and that of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in ocean protection and management of marine resources. ‘Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity’ has been selected as the theme for 2025, which will culminate in the celebration of the day on 25 September 2025. 

The IMO council, meeting for its 132nd session, endorsed the theme following a proposal by secretary general Arsenio Dominguez. 

The theme reflects the ocean’s vital role in the world economy, with more than 80% of global trade transported by sea. 

The ocean is a source of jobs and food for millions of people, a home for countless marine species and a regulator of the planet’s climate, mitigating the impacts of climate change. 

Dominguez said: “Our long-standing commitment to this issue is evident in IMO’s robust global regulatory framework supporting cleaner, safer seas and a growing portfolio of technical assistance initiatives to support ocean protection in our 176 member states’’.

Over many decades, IMO has developed and adopted mandatory rules, recommendations and guidelines to protect the marine environment from any potential negative impact of shipping. 

These include binding treaties applied on ships globally. 

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, first adopted in 1973, covers pollution from oil, dangerous chemicals, packaged goods, sewage and garbage as well as harmful emissions from ships. 

Other marine environment-related treaties cover the dumping of wastes at sea (London Convention and Protocol), managing ships’ ballast water to prevent the spread of potentially invasive aquatic species (Ballast Water Management Convention), control of anti-fouling systems, as well as preparedness and response for spills of oil or chemicals. 

These international regulations are supported by technical assistance programmes and projects that support member states in tackling specific challenges such as marine plastic litter, greenhouse gas emissions from ships and the spread of invasive aquatic species through ballast water and biofouling. 

IMO’s work in these areas directly supports the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 14 on life below water; SDG 13 on climate action; SDG 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure, as well as SDG 17 on partnerships. 

The new theme emphasises the link to wider global efforts to protect the ocean, including the conclusion of the UN Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, the negotiation of a new instrument to address plastic pollution, and the third UN Ocean conference in June 2025. 

The theme will allow all stakeholders to showcase the deep interconnection of shipping and IMO in the ocean space, highlighting the importance of collaboration and coordination to ensure the sustainable and safe use of ocean resources. Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can lead to ocean acidification. 

In 2011, IMO became the first international regulator for the transport sector to adopt globally-binding energy-efficiency requirements, which apply to all ships globally, regardless of trading pattern or flag state, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. The world’s oceans are one of our planet’s most valuable environmental resources. Seas cover 70% of the world’s surface, providing raw materials, energy, food, employment, a place to live, a place to relax, and a means to transport more than 80% of global trade volumes. 

IMO understands the need for special protection in some areas because of ecological, socio-economic or scientific significance. 

Special Areas and Particularly Sensitive Seas Areas are designated to ensure high levels of protection from shipping activities. IMO continues to enhance its work on climate change mitigation and reduction of emissions from ships, which will contribute to reducing ocean acidification. Several global partnership projects executed by IMO address a range of ocean issues, including action on marine litter, reduction of Greenhouse gas from shipping to address climate change, as well as projects targeting the spread of potentially invasive aquatic species. 

Coordination and collaboration are key in all ocean matters. IMO is the secretariat for the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection, which is an inter-agency mechanism providing independent scientific advice to its 10 sponsoring UN organisations. IMO is also playing an active role in other environmental cooperation mechanisms in the UN, such as UN Oceans and the UN Environment Management Group. 

*Dr. Moses Amweelo is a former minister of Works, Transport and Communication. He is currently a part-time lecturer at the International University of Management and the University of Namibia. He earned a doctorate in Technical Science, Industrial Engineering and Management from the International Transport Academy (St. Petersburg, Russia).