Food for thought as ICS tackles big issues

THE Northern Summer is upon us. Countless shipping executives are suddenly on leave as school holidays start and a significant portion of the global maritime industries, and the political machinery of Europe switches to autopilot. This can be frustrating for those in Asian shipping centres, such as Singapore, who can find it near impossible to contact the right person in the London office.

Eventually however the kids go back to school and their parents go back to work. One of the first signs of a return to business as usual is the International Chamber of Shipping's (ICS) annual conference. The 2016 International Shipping Conference will be held at the British Library in London, as it has been for several years now, on Wednesday, Sept 7. Also as usual, ICS has assembled a formidable list of speakers including International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary-general Kitack Lim; the International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) principal environmental fiscal policy expert Ian Parry; and newly appointed ICS chairman and well known here as the president of Singapore Shipping Association Esben Poulsson.

There is certainly no shortage of controversial issues for the assembled shipowners' representatives to consider this year. "The issues on the table today cover a broad spectrum and affect us all," says ICS policy & external relations director Simon Bennett. "It is important to fully debate them at all levels and across all sectors of the shipping community. The 2016 ICS International Shipping Conference offers the ideal opportunity to bring all parties together to share ideas and test established positions."