Regulation of shipping should be kept global
Rules that apply only in certain regions create economic inefficiencies and threaten the authority of the IMO, but fixing this will take the IMO into the thicket of high politics
Add BT as a preferred source
ONCE again, the annual International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Conference, held last week in London, has proved well worth attending. As usual, it was a packed programme covering a diverse range of issues, including some thought-provoking presentations.
Coming into that category was the introductory speech by ICS chairman Esben Poulsson (who is also president of the Singapore Shipping Association), which emphasised the importance of ensuring global - rather than regional or national - regulation of shipping.
This was actually just one of a number of issues he raised, but it has got to be the big issue because it is about the way international shipping is governed and on the capacity of individual countries with substantial maritime interests, such as Singapore, to influence policy.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
