23 July 2019: The International Maritime Organization (IMO) selected “Sustainable Shipping for a Sustainable Planet” as the 2020 World Maritime theme. The theme aims to raise awareness of the work that IMO and its member States undertake to contribute to achieving the SDGs.

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim proposed the theme, saying he believes it will provide opportunities for the IMO Secretariat and member States to highlight the “already significant contributions of shipping and the IMO” to building a sustainable future. Lim highlighted the contributions of the Organization and the shipping industry towards a sustainable future, including the implementation of the Ballast Water Management Convention, adoption of measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improvements in the efficiency of shipping through the exchange of electronic information, and efforts to reduce marine litter, protect the polar regions and reduce the sulfur content of ships’ fuel oil.

Lim said the IMO Secretariat’s SDGs Strategy outlines the Organization’s strategic approach to contribute to SDG achievement. He emphasized the year 2020 will mark the “beginning of a decade of action and delivery” that will be decisive for both the shipping industry and for life on the planet. Lim further highlighted the SDG Summit, the Climate Action Summit and the UN Ocean Conferences as opportunities for the shipping sector to reflect on progress to date and future steps towards a sustainable future.

The IMO Council endorsed the theme at its 122nd session. [IMO Press Release] [IMO Webpage on the SDGs]