>Press Releases Home > Publications and press releases > Press Releases HK celebrates World Maritime Day 2000 The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) - a specialised agency under the United Nations dealing with maritime affairs - has been celebrating together with its 158 Member Governments the World Maritime Day 2000 this week (September 25 to 29). The theme for this year's occasion is "IMO: Building Maritime Partnerships". The IMO, of which Hong Kong is an associate member in its own right, was created in 1948 but it took another decade for the IMO Convention to receive sufficient acceptance to enter into force. The annual World Maritime Day was first held on March 17, 1978 to mark the date of entry into force in 1958 of the IMO Convention. In a message to commemorate the World Maritime Day 2000, IMO's Secretary-General Mr William O'Neil emphasised on the importance of partnership in shipping. He said that the foundation stone of IMO's success had been partnership, because the organisation at its heart was a co-operative relationship among the members who joined together in framing, implementing and policing the standards and the rules and regulations that govern international shipping. "It is a partnership that has produced more than 40 conventions and several hundred protocols and resolutions that together provide the blueprint for a safe, environmentally friendly and cost-effectively industry," he said. Mr O'Neil concluded by urging members to commit to a process of continually re-examining the established standards and the mechanisms that had been created for ensuring their proper, uniform implementation. He stressed that these objectives could only be achieved through global partnerships in a global forum. Tuesday, September 26, 2000
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