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Hong Kong to celebrate World Maritime Day
Hong Kong will join some 152 maritime administrations around the world to celebrate World Maritime Day 1995, the Director of Marine, Mr Ian Dale, announced today (Tuesday).
Being an associate member of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Hong Kong wholeheartedly supported the actions taken by IMO in its endeavours towards safer ships and cleaner seas, Mr Dale said on the eve of Hong Kong's World Maritime Day 1995.
IMO is an United Nations agency dealing with international shipping and its members are celebrating the World Maritime Day 1995 during the week of September 25 to 29.
The annual event was first held on March 17, 1978, to mark the date of entry into force in 1958 of the convention establishing IMO and since then the organisation uses the occasion every year to publicise its work.
The theme of this year's World Maritime Day is "50th Anniversary of the United Nations: IMO's Achievements and Challenges",
"Hong Kong will continue to be in the forefront of maritime administrations which adopt internationally ratified maritime safety conventions," said Mr Dale.
He noted that just recently Hong Kong had completed another round of legislative amendments to the Merchant Shipping (Safety) Ordinance to bring local regulations in ship construction and design in line with internationally ratified maritime safety standards.
In a message marking World Maritime Day 1995, the Secretary-General of IMO, Mr William O'Neil, said IMO was established by means of a convention which was adopted under the auspices of the United Nations in 1948 and today has 152 member states.
"Its most important treaties cover more than 98 per cent of world shipping," said Mr O'Neil.
IMO succeeded in winning the support of the maritime world by being pragmatic, effective and above all by concentrating on the technical issues related to safety at sea and the prevention of pollution from ships.