Shipping is the only viable delivery mechanism that can support global trade and the global economy, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said today. Highlighting the need to sharpen the understanding and appreciation among the wider public of the shipping and port industries, Mr. Lim emphasized the importance of shipping to the world, saying that the issues the maritime industry is engaged in affect the entire global community. Mr. Lim was speaking at the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA) conference in Barcelona (1 March).
The themes of the keynote speech reflected this year’s World Maritime Day theme, namely "Shipping: indispensable to the world" which was chosen to focus on the critical link between shipping and global society and to raise awareness of the relevance of the role of IMO as the global regulatory body for international shipping.