Shipping - Backbone of Global Economy, says UN
“Maritime transport is the backbone of global trade and the global economy,” said the UN chief in a message on the World Day, which is observed annually on 29 September, and whose theme this year is Shipping: indispensable to the world.
The importance of shipping in supporting and sustaining today's global society makes it indispensable to the world and to meeting the challenges of the sustainable development agenda, the top UN officials declared, as the international community marked World Maritime Day.
“Everybody in the world benefits from shipping, yet few people realize it. We ship food, technology, medicines, and memories. As the world's population continues to grow, particularly in developing countries, low-cost and efficient maritime transport has an essential role to play in growth and sustainable development,” he added.
Indeed, the Secretary-General said that shipping helps to ensure that the benefits of trade and commerce are more evenly spread.
“No country is entirely self-sufficient, and every country relies on maritime trade to sell what it has and buy what it needs. Much of what we use and consume in our everyday lives either has been or will be transported by sea, in the form of raw materials, components or finished articles,” he stressed.
Moreover, he said, the jobs and livelihoods of billions of people in the developing world, and standards of living in the industrialized and developed world, depend on ships and shipping. For its part, the shipping industry has played an important part in the dramatic improvements in global living standards that have taken millions of people out of acute poverty in recent years, the Secretary-General said.
The shipping industry will be just as critical for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the plan agreed to by all global leaders last year for people, peace, planet prosperity and partnership, the UN chief said.
“Yet the vast majority of people are unaware of the key role played by the shipping industry, which is largely hidden from view,” Mr. Ban said, adding that “this is a story that needs to be told.”
In that regard, the Secretary-General highlighted that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) – the UN specialized agency for maritime safety and environmental protection – plays a vital role as the international regulatory body for an industry that spans the globe.
