World Maritime Day 2026–2027. From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence

This year's theme touches on one of the core missions of the International Maritime Organization: ensuring that international law translates into concrete national legislation, effective enforcement, and day-to-day operations across the entire maritime sector.

In an official message relating to the theme of this year's World Maritime Day celebrations, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez reminds us:

For nearly 80 years, IMO has built the framework for global shipping - more than 50 international conventions shape the everyday of maritime life.  

However, we must be honest - experience shows that the true value of these instruments is realized only when they are effectively applied, delivering practical benefits on board ships, in ports and throughout the global maritime domain. 

The real test and the real responsibility lie in implementation, how we transition 'From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence'.

This theme reflects our mission: ensuring that the global regulatory framework we develop is not merely adopted in principle, but translated into concrete actions and real-world results that deliver tangible benefits for all.  

When we talk about 'practice', we are talking about people. The seafarers on the ship; the people in the port; those managing ship operations, ship recycling workers,  port State control officers and flag State administrators.

To make the maritime industry truly sustainable, we must ensure these high standards are felt in every port and on every deck - not selectively, not unevenly, but globally. IMO is committed to powering this transition through technical cooperation and direct support. 

Let us move beyond the conference room and turn our collective decisions into real-world results that benefit everyone. 

It is time to move decisively from policy to practice.

World Maritime Day was established by the United Nations in 1978, on the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the convention that created the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The purpose of the observance is to raise awareness that the seas are a common heritage, and that the protection of the marine environment should be a matter of concern and responsibility for everyone.