It is time to promote the image of shipping, IMO Secretary-General Mr. Efthimios Mitropoulos said on Monday (21 June), as he received on behalf of IMO the gift of a replica model of the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship from the International Council of Cruise Lines and their members Cunard and Carnival Cruise Lines.

Referring to the Queen Mary 2 as a "a symbol for all that is excellent in shipping today", Mr. Mitropoulos said the presentation was one occasion on which "we can, justifiably, I think, wave the flag about shipping and give the wider world an excellent example of just why those of us involved in this great industry are so proud of it and proud of the part it plays in our global society today."

Mr. Mitropoulos said he believed the image of shipping did need promotion, adding: "I find it grossly unfair that, when something goes wrong in shipping, politicians and the public are quick to criticize and condemn, whereas, when great things happen in the industry, such as the safe and clean delivery of goods by sea in their overwhelming majority or the arrival of beautiful ships such as the QM2, they mostly go unnoticed."

"I, therefore, believe that the time has come for us to work together, more systematically than ever before, to make politicians and the public aware of the credit shipping rightly deserves," Mr. Mitropoulos said.

"The arrival of such a beautiful and prestigious vessel which, by the very nature of her heritage will capture the imagination of a wider public, provides a great opportunity to promote shipping" he said, adding: "This magnificent ship has, quite rightly, been celebrated and fêted both as the inheritor of a proud tradition and as the embodiment of the kind of cutting-edge, future-orientated solutions that we see all over the world in every facet of shipping today."

The model ship was presented by Ms. Pam Conover, President and CEO of Cunard Line Ltd. Also speaking at the ceremony were Mr. David Jamieson, MP, Minister for Shipping, United Kingdom and Mr. Michael Crye, President of ICCL. Commodore Ronald Warwick, Shipmaster of the Year and master of the QM 2, also attended, alongside delegates attending the IMO Council's 92nd session, which runs from 21 to 25 June.

"We are sincerely grateful to be receiving today this superb model which we all know represents a string of superlatives. QM2 - the real ship, not the replica of course - is the largest, longest, tallest, widest ocean liner ever and has cost an estimated $800 million dollars. She incorporates all the very latest IMO standards with regard to safety, security and environmental protection and seems set to offer her passengers an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of ocean travel in the finest style. Congratulations are, therefore, in order to the owners, the flag State, the shipyard, the naval architect and all the others who worked together to make this dream come true," Mr. Mitropoulos said.

ICCL also presented IMO with a cheque for US$10,000 as a contribution to the recently established International Search and Rescue (SAR) Fund, which will assist countries which do not have the resources to put into place an adequate SAR infrastructure and thereby fill a gap in IMO's efforts to establish the global SAR plan on a realistic, efficient and effective basis.

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IMO - the International Maritime Organization - is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.

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