THE INTERNATIONAL Chamber of Shipping has launched its Shipping Policy Principles for Pandemic Recovery this week to guide formal discussions between the World Trade Organization and the maritime industry.
The launch falls during the WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12) held in Geneva this week.
According to the ICS, WTO director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has proposed a formal dialogue between the WTO and the maritime transport sector.
The ICS described it as an opportunity for senior government officials and industry to exchange views on critical issues and challenges confronting the multilateral trading system.
The dialogue will take into account recent events impacting the global economy, such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, global energy crises and recovery from COVID-19.
“We were very encouraged and fully support Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s message to the shipping industry proposing a formal Dialogue between the WTO and the maritime transport sector,” ICS secretary general Guy Platten said.
He said there have been a number of developments this past year which have emphasised the need for WTO and industry collaboration.
“ICS and the WTO, as the facilitators of free trade throughout the world, are united on many issues but none more so than our shared values and principles of open and unimpeded access to international markets.
“We are committed to engaging with the WTO in this comprehensive dialogue, and hope that our ICS shipping policy principles will provide a building block for discussions between the shipping industry and governments.”
The shipping policy principles were designed to help ensure the global shipping industry can contribute to pandemic recovery and to further improvement of global prosperity as the world’s population grows.
They intend to strengthen the industry’s commitment to the maintenance of a rules-based global trading system, a global regulatory framework embracing open markets and fair competition, and adherence to international standards.
