LONDON: The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Ambassadors Meeting, which was recently held on the sidelines of World Maritime Day, sought to discuss the most timely and important issues affecting the global maritime sector. The meeting also tackled the important role being played by each of the goodwill ambassadors in promoting the IMO and its tasks and the need to increase more awareness about the maritime industry and its related professions. Also discussed during the event were the significance of inviting young people to be part of the maritime industry and the efforts being implemented to help reach out to a wider target audience–raising awareness about the benefits and advantages to be gained from working in the maritime segment and the need to inspire a whole new generation of marine professionals.
The meeting was attended by IMO Ambassadors, ministers and representatives of various member countries, including Dr. Aisha Al Busmait, Director of Government Communications at the Federal Transport Authority – Land & Maritime, who was recently named as an IMO Goodwill Maritime Ambassador during the World Maritime Day Parallel event held last September in Colombia.
The meeting focused on the important role of goodwill maritime ambassadors in contributing to the enhancement and sustainability of the global maritime sector, including the move to consolidate the leading position of this vital sector. The event also discussed the growing role of women in the maritime industry and how they hold various positions of importance.
Al Busmait explained the importance of the role and responsibility placed on IMO Goodwill Ambassadors, especially in the move to spread awareness among young people about the importance of the maritime sector and the need to engage in it, whether through academic study or work in the maritime professions. She also pointed out that women have become important contributors to the maritime industry, which falls in line with the efforts to empower them and provide them with appropriate opportunities that can help enhance their career in this sector.
Al Busmait said, “The meeting served as a timely and strategic platform to discuss the most important issues that the global maritime sector faces and how we can focus on our role as goodwill ambassadors in promoting and sustaining this sector. During the meeting, participants stressed on the need to develop key guidelines and mechanisms to create a comprehensive roadmap detailing the role of ambassadors—emphasizing on the need to disseminate the key messages of the IMO, which also include the development of effective communication plans and the preparation of propaganda messages, launch of socially responsible initiatives, holding workshops and seminars, cooperating with the concerned authorities in the maritime sector and the development of PR plans for maritime media.”
The IMO is an international organization specialized in the maritime sector that seeks to promote its public awareness and the important role that the industry plays in the global economy. The organization is also tasked with helping improve the safety and security of the sea, the international shipping industry and combating marine pollution from ships. The IMO works to achieve this by monitoring and developing a comprehensive framework of conventions and policies for the maritime industry and other activities such as maritime security, maritime safety, technical cooperation, environmental concerns and legal issues. News Desk
