TOMORROW, Sept. 24, is World Maritime Day. A United Nations observance led by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), this special day is celebrated annually on the last Thursday of September to showcase the essential role of international shipping in global trade and its connection to maritime safety, security, environmental protection, and sustainable development. It aims to heighten public awareness of the ocean as a source of food, livelihoods, climate regulation, and biodiversity, and of the role of seafarers in keeping global commerce moving.
For the first time, IMO selected a two-year theme to underscore turning international shipping regulations into real-world operational safety and environmental practices. “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence” has been chosen as the IMO’s World Maritime Day theme for 2026 and 2027 to highlight IMO’s solid commitment to put policies into practice, by providing technical assistance, training, and other essential services.
In his message to mark the occasion, IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez placed the theme in the context of the year’s events: “This year,” he said, “shipping has been tested. Regrettably, too many seafarers have lost their lives due to geopolitical conflicts. Our thoughts are first and foremost with the seafarers and their families who have been affected. The global supply chains for energy and food have been disrupted.
“This year’s World Maritime Day theme, ‘From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence,’ recognizes the reality that regulations will only deliver safer, more resilient, and cleaner shipping when they are implemented worldwide. And implementation must make a difference where it matters the most, for the people working at sea.”
Dominguez underscores IMO’s mission to ensure that every member state is supported to effectively implement IMO regulations, and its vision to ensure that all IMO member states can benefit from the opportunities that the next decade will bring, which can range from embracing digitalization to responding to the energy transition, to creating more opportunities for women, all of which can build a more inclusive and diverse maritime sector.
But one principle must remain constant, Dominguez stressed: “Seafarers come first, always.” He emphasized that implementation is ultimately about people: seafarers, port workers, ship operators, inspectors, and administrators. He noted that high standards should be felt “in every port and on every deck.”
This is especially significant because it places the seafarer at the center of maritime excellence rather than treating regulations as purely administrative requirements.
Bringing all this down to the level of the individual seafarer in practical terms, the theme is about ensuring that international regulations are not merely adopted on paper but are translated into day-to-day operations, supported through training, capacity-building, technical cooperation, and knowledge sharing. The ultimate goal is a shipping industry that is safer, more efficient, more secure, and more environmentally sustainable.
For seafarers, this means that the benefits of maritime regulations should be increasingly felt on board, not just discussed in conference rooms.
For the ordinary seafarer, “policy to practice” could mean better-maintained lifesaving equipment, more realistic emergency drills, safer working procedures, improved risk assessments before hazardous operations, and better compliance with safety management systems.
For example, deck officers should not merely know the rule for enclosed-space entry; they should actually have the equipment, permits, training, and support to carry it out safely.
The theme could also lead to more effective training, better familiarization with new technologies, improved environmental-awareness programs, and greater access to competency-building courses.
As shipping becomes increasingly digital and environmentally focused, continuous learning will become an even more important part of a maritime career.
One of the biggest challenges in shipping has always been the difference between what regulations require and what actually happens at sea. The theme recognizes that regulations achieve their purpose only when they are effectively implemented and enforced in daily operations.
For seafarers, it is ultimately about making international standards work where they matter most, aboard ship. It envisions a maritime industry in which safety procedures are consistently followed, environmental practices are genuinely effective, training is continuously strengthened, and seafarers receive the support needed to perform their duties safely and professionally. In this sense, maritime excellence is not measured by the number of regulations adopted, but by the tangible improvements they bring to the lives of those who work at sea every day.
Tomorrow, IMO headquarters in London will blaze in blue. Dominguez invites all member states, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, to join the effort and light up prominent buildings, and share photos or stories on how to turn maritime policy into practice.
For our part, we shall celebrate National Maritime Week from Sept. 20 to 27, 2026, and National Seafarers’ Day on Sept. 27.
The Museo del Galeon will observe both events through a series of special educational programs and interactive maritime workshops designed to connect early seafaring history with modern practices. On Sept. 27, the Museo raises maritime awareness among children with the fun activity Connect Your Guiding Stars, a Constellation Workshop for kids aged 7-12, where they can connect the dots and discover the night sky.
