Today is World Maritime Day. This year’s theme, from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), is: “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity.”

The theme reflects the ocean’s vital role in the world economy, with more than 80 percent 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, according to the IMO. 

As the largest sector operating in the ocean space, shipping has a central role to play in the protection of the marine environment and management of ocean resources.

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

The theme emphasizes the link to wider global efforts to protect the ocean, including the adoption in June 2025 of the UN Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), a new instrument to address plastic pollution, which was agreed upon at the third UN Ocean Conference. 

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.

Learn more here.