The world’s oceans are a lifeline, a source of food, energy, and biodiversity, and a key regulator of the planet’s climate. Yet, they face mounting threats from pollution, overuse, habitat loss, and climate change.
This year’s World Maritime Day theme is “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity,”. It highlights the ocean’s essential role in our lives, in the global economy and in sustaining life and livelihoods. Our ocean enables 80% global trade through shipping. The ocean affects climate and produces half of the Oxygen we breathe. The ocean feeds a billion people around the world from the countless species it home, and provides jobs and opportunities for millions.
Safeguarding the ocean is a shared global duty, not just about nature. As the largest sector operating at sea, the shipping industry is central to both global commerce and ocean protection. Through the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), 176 Member States work together under a strong regulatory framework to build cleaner, safer seas.
Beyond shipping, the UN is also advancing ocean protection through landmark agreements, such as the High Seas Treaty to safeguard biodiversity and ongoing talks to curb plastic pollution at its source.
True sustainability is also about people. Seafarers are the heart of shipping, and their well-being must remain a top priority.
Looking ahead, IMO has already set the theme for 2026–27: “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence.” The two-year focus will ensure that global rules are not just written but fully implemented, strengthening safety, security, and environmental protection worldwide.
