PORT ST. MAARTEN – World Maritime Day is observed annually on September 26. The 2019 theme is “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community.” The theme according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality, in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and to highlight the important – yet under-utilized – contribution of women within the maritime sector.
Port St. Maarten Management would like to congratulate all those working in the maritime sector with respect to World Maritime Day, September 26. “We commend those working in the country’s maritime community especially the women and those working at Port St. Maarten.
“At the same time, we find it very important to impart knowledge and skills relating to maritime operations, and therefore, the port will be launching a training outpost, and we encourage women to get more involved.
“Almost everyone in the world relies on shipping to some extent for the transportation of goods. This is a vital industry on which all nations depend. Congratulations once more as you celebrate World Maritime Day on Thursday,” Port St. Maarten Management said on Wednesday.
The IMO says that empowering women fuels thriving economies across the world, spurs growth and development, and benefits everyone working in the global maritime community in the drive towards safe, secure, clean and sustainable shipping.
Port St. Maarten is on the verge of finalizing a full fledge local training outpost center at the port as a joint venture with Global Port Training (GPT). The port wants to ensure that the local work pool receives the best that can be offered to every member of the Port operations team with respect to training as per international standards.
The investments and training of human resources at Port St. Maarten is at the top of the agenda. The Port continues to invest in young local talent by inviting them to join the Port family, and continuous investment in existing personnel to optimize efficiency within the organization.
Port St. Maarten will be establishing a human resources training outpost. The training outpost will lead to the certification of persons working in the logistics field such as heavy equipment operators, stevedoring activities, and other port-container related operations.
The training Outpost Facility will be a key component to Port St. Maarten’s operational excellence platform ensuring quality and certified port operations across the board via establishing various audit models for continued improvement and success of Port St. Maarten cargo division and will also be used as a catalyst to use St. Maarten as a centralized training hub on a regional and international level.
Port St. Maarten Management would like to share with the St. Maarten community and those working in the maritime sector the IMO Secretary General’s (SGs) message on this global occasion.
Under the heading, ‘Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls,’ the IMO SG Kitack Lim message says: “Shipping has historically been a male-dominated industry and that tradition runs long and deep.
“However, IMO believes that empowering women fuels thriving economies, spurs productivity and growth, and benefits every stakeholder in the global maritime community.
“Through its Women in Maritime gender equality and capacity-building programme IMO encourages its Member States to enable women to train alongside men in their maritime institutes and so acquire the high-level of competence that the maritime industry demands.
“IMO supports gender equality and the empowerment of women through gender specific fellowships; by facilitating access to high-level technical training for women in the maritime sector in developing countries; and creating the environment in which women are identified and selected for career development opportunities in maritime administrations, ports and maritime training institutes.
PHOTO CUTLINE: Port St. Maarten
