Day of the Seafarer (DotS), June 25, 2018
This year, once again, 25 June will mark the annual Day of the Seafarer (DotS).
Seafarers wellbeing
2017 and 2018 have seen strong momentum in the industry to address seafarer’s wellbeing, particularly their mental health.
To give further exposure to this important issue, our choice for the 2018 Day of the Seafarer theme is “seafarers’ wellbeing”.
By addressing the issue of seafarers’ wellbeing and particularly mental health, this campaign can inform specific strategies to tackle stress and other issues affecting seafarers’ mental conditions – and make the tools available more widely known.
The campaign will seek to highlight and showcase best practices and good examples but will also, inevitably, bring out areas of concern and examples of shortcomings.
Take the survey!
At the core of our campaign this year, we created an online survey to collect seafarers’ feedback. We want to hear from you to make sure you know what your rights are and if you feel those rights are being implemented into your operational reality. The survey’s feedback will be fed at IMO Council to make sure member states are aware of your comments. So take the survey. Click here or on the image below to take the survey.
Photo competition
This year, IMO and the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) have teamed up to give you the chance to showcase your photographic skills and win a GoPro Camera, iPad or both! The competition is sponsored by The North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA). Click here or on the image below to share your photos.
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Campaign features
As in previous years, the campaign will be centred on social media. All IMO’s social media platforms are likely to feature but Twitter and Facebook will account for most activity.
This year the campaign will have two hashtags, as follows:
This hashtag can be used by shipping companies and others within the industry, to show how they provide a decent working environment for seafarers and how they address mental health issues among their seagoing staff.
#GoodDayatSea
This hashtag can be used to engage the general public, to wish them a good day at sea.We will use the hashtag #GoodDayatSea to encourage seafarers to share photos of themselves in a positive work environment.
Completing the phrase #GoodDayatSea looks like…
At the core of the campaign, IMO will make available an online survey to collect seafarers’ feedback on knowing their rights and if they feel those rights are being implemented into their operational reality.
While full details of the campaign are still in progress, you can still use and share our Day of the Seafarer logo and start using the hashtag now.
This year, we will also promote good initiatives and material developed by various maritime stakeholders to advocate for higher standards of welfare as well as highlight what they are doing to improve conditions for seafarers regarding issues related to seafarers’ wellbeing, such as:
- Shore leave
- Abandonment
- Mental health
- Wages
- No criminalization
- Repatriation
- Resources available to Positive Mental Health
- MLC convention
Background
DotS was established in a resolution adopted by the 2010 Diplomatic Conference in Manila to adopt the revised STCW Convention. Its stated purpose is to recognize the unique contribution made by seafarers from all over the world to international seaborne trade, the world economy and civil society as a whole.
The resolution “encourages Governments, shipping organizations, companies, shipowners and all other parties concerned to duly and appropriately promote the Day of the Seafarer and take action to celebrate it meaningfully”.
Day of the Seafarer is recognized by the United Nations as an observance day.
