Why do you care about the ocean? Why is there so much plastic in the ocean? How does your Organization help? These were some of the questions posed to International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez by school children at the L’Ecole de Battersea, London, during the February 2025 launch of this year’s World Maritime Day theme:
Our Ocean
Our Obligation
Our Opportunity
World Maritime Day will be celebrated on September 25, 2025.
Watch the Secretary-General’s response as he joins in the children’s very own call to action: “IMO here we go, let’s protect the ocean!”
The launch reflects IMO’s commitment to engaging young people and safeguarding the ocean for future generations.
The Secretary-General called on the global maritime community to join in celebrating ‘Our ocean, Our obligation, Our opportunity’ throughout the year, by supporting IMO campaigns and organizing their own activities.
He said: “I am thrilled to share this moment with the next generation of potential leaders, innovators and ocean stewards. I am counting on the entire maritime community, and beyond, to actively engage in initiatives under this theme, and to bring awareness to shipping’s historic role as the largest user and champion of the ocean.”
Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity
The World Maritime Day theme for 2025 “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity” reflects the ocean’s vital role in the world economy, given that more than 80% of global trade is transported by sea. The ocean is a source of jobs and food for millions of people, a home for countless marine species, and a regulator of the planet’s climate, mitigating the impacts of climate change.
As the largest sector operating in the ocean space, shipping has a central role to play in the protection of the marine environment and management of ocean resources.
IMO’s long-standing commitment on this issue is evident in the robust global regulatory framework supporting cleaner, safer seas, and a growing portfolio of technical assistance initiatives to support ocean protection in 176 Member States.
The theme emphasizes the link to wider global efforts to protect the ocean including the conclusion of UN Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), the negotiation of a new instrument to address plastic pollution and the third UN Ocean Conference in June 2025.
The theme will allow all stakeholders to showcase the deep interconnection of shipping and IMO in the ocean space, highlighting the importance of collaboration and coordination to ensure the sustainable and safe use of ocean resources.
Find further information and resources on World Maritime Day 2025, here.
World Maritime Day 2025
World Maritime Day will be celebrated at IMO Headquarters on 25 September 2025 and the World Maritime Day Parallel Event is expected to be celebrated in the United Arab Emirates.
For more information, please see Circular Letter No.4959.
IMO’s work to protect the ocean
Over many decades, IMO has developed and adopted mandatory rules, recommendations and guidelines to protect the marine environment from any potential negative impact of shipping. These include binding treaties applied on ships globally. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), first adopted in 1973, covers pollution from oil, dangerous chemicals, packaged goods, sewage and garbage, and harmful emissions from ships.
Other marine environment related treaties cover: the dumping of wastes at sea (London Convention and Protocol); managing ships’ ballast water to prevent the spread of potentially invasive aquatic species (Ballast Water Management Convention); control of anti-fouling systems; and preparedness and response for spills of oil or chemicals.
These international regulations are supported by technical assistance programs and projects that support Member States to tackle specific challenges such as marine plastic litter, greenhouse gas emissions from ships, and the spread of invasive aquatic species through ballast water and biofouling.
IMO’s work in these areas directly support the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:
- SDG 14 on life below water;
- SDG 13 on climate action;
- SDG 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure; and
- SDG 17 on partnerships.
Other World Maritime Day Resources
- IMO’s work to protect the ocean
- Marine environment
- IMO and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
- UN World Oceans Day 2025 (8 June 2025)
- UN 2025 Ocean Conference (9 -13 June 2025)
Poem “Dereliction: And the Ocean Too Weeps”
A poem by Salim Bhimji, honoring the ocean.
Please find the audio version of the poem here.