The shipping, ports and maritime business services sectors in the UK have formalised an agreement to work together to speak on key strategic and practical issues of mutual concern.
The consolidated group, known as Maritime UK, meets quarterly, at a high level, providing a forum for discussion and action on relevant issues. An efficient consultation process has also been established, allowing rapid responses to issues when required.
The chairmanship of Maritime UK rotates amongst the three sectors which make up the grouping (business services, ports and shipping). Jesper Kjaedegaard, President of the Chamber of Shipping has assumed the role for six months from July 2009 onwards.
The day-to-day secretariat is being undertaken by the Chamber of Shipping. Maritime UK speaks as a single entity on agreed issues - either through the Chairman or the individual member organisation most concerned with the issue.
The participating organisations – at least, initially – include the Baltic Exchange, the British Ports Association, the Chamber of Shipping, the Federation Council of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, Maritime London, the Passenger Shipping Association and the UK Major Ports Group. Others may be invited to join in due course.
The objectives of Maritime UK are to:-
• unite and represent the UK’s maritime services cluster (shipping, ports and business services) – working through and with its constituent organisations
• seek recognition as such by Government, international audiences and the outside world
• identify, together, common strategic goals, try to reach common positions among the constituent organisations on paramount issues, and (once agreed) maintain the discipline of a single voice in discussions with the relevant audiences
• build greater political and policy weight behind those positions taken by these vital sectors; thereby expanding their individual and collective influence
• take advantage of new opportunities to build consensus between the partners and dispel any confusion which may have resulted, in the past, from the projection of several different (even if parallel) messages on the key high-level topics
• facilitate closer working between the participating organisations; thereby increasing their effectiveness and enabling their professional resources to be used/shared better in the future
For further information please visit www.maritimeuk.org
To contact Maritime UK please email Jonathan Roberts on info@maritimeuk.org or phone 020 7417 2833.