The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is the international trade association for merchant ship operators. ICS membership comprises national ship-owners associations representing over half of the world's merchant fleet. A major focus of ICS activity is the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency with responsibility for the safety of life at sea and the protection of the marine environment. ICS is involved in a wide variety of areas including any technical, legal and operational matters affecting merchant ships. ICS is unique in that it represents the global interests of all the different trades in the industry: bulk carrier operators, tanker operators, passenger ship operators and container liner trades, including ship-owners and third party ship managers. ICS has consultative status with a number of intergovernmental bodies which have an impact on shipping. Its ties with IMO date to its inception in 1958. ICS is committed to the principle of maritime regulation being formulated at an international level. The objective of ICS is the maintenance of a sound, well-considered global regulatory environment in which well-run ships can operate safely and efficiently. ICS may be contacted via the Chamber of Shipping of America by email at info@knowships.com or by phone at (202) 775-4399.

　

　

 The ICFTU was set up in 1949 and has 233 affiliated organizations in 154 countries and territories on all five continents. It has three major regional organizations, APRO for Asia and the Pacific, AFRO for Africa, and ORIT for the Americas. It also maintains close links with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) (which includes all ICFTU European affiliates) and Global Union Federations, which link together national unions from a particular trade or industry at international level. It is a Confederation of national trade union centers, each of which links together the trade unions of that particular country. Membership is open to bona fide trade union organizations that are independent of outside influence, and have a democratic structure. The ICFTU cooperates closely with the International Labour Organization and has consultative status with specialized agencies such as UNESCO, FAO, etc. The ICFTU organizes and directs campaigns on issues such as: the respect and defense of trade union and workers' rights; the eradication of forced and child labor; the promotion of equal rights for working women; the environment; education programs for trade unionists all over the world; encouraging the organization of young workers; sends missions to investigate the trade union situation in many countries. The five main ICFTU priorities are: employment and international labor standards; tackling the multinationals; trade union rights; equality, women, race and migrants, and trade union organization and recruitment. The ICFTU may be contacted at internetpo@icftu.org.

　

　

 The mission of the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) is to participate in the regulatory and policy development process and promote all measures that foster a safe, secure and healthy cruise ship environment. Under the direction of the chief executives of its member lines, ICCL advocates industry positions to key domestic and international regulatory organizations, policymakers and other industry partners. The ICCL actively monitors international shipping policy and develops recommendations to its membership on a wide variety of issues. ICCL's members include the largest passenger cruise lines that call on hundreds of ports in the United States and abroad. ICCL Associate Members represent industry suppliers and strategic business partners. Each year ICCL's overnight cruise ship operators carry more than seven million passengers on over 90 ships. ICCL may be contacted by email at info@iccl.org, or by phone at the Arlington, VA office at (703) 522-8463.

　

　

 The International Federation of Customs Brokers Associations, commonly referred to as the IFCBA, began in 1989 when associations representing the industry in six nations Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and the United States - met at the Pacific Rim Customs Brokers Conference in Hawaii. These associations established a professional international business network where the industry could strategize about future challenges. IFCBA membership currently stands at 25 countries. The IFCBA has grown into an association that is recognized by customs administrations and other regulatory authorities at the national, regional and international level. The objectives of the IFCBA are, broadly speaking, threefold: (1) to encourage and facilitate co-operation among national customs broker associations at the international level, (2) to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas on matters affecting national customs broker associations, and (3) to associate, affiliate and federate with any other association, society or organization, with the objects the same or similar to the objects of the IFCBA. IFCBA may be contacted by email at ifcba@ifcba.org, or by phone in the Washington, DC office at 202-466-0222.

　

　

 The International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations (IFSMA) was formed in 1974 by Eight European Shipmasters' Associations to unite the World's serving Shipmasters into a single professional coordinated body. It is a non-profit, a political organization dedicated solely to the interest of the serving Shipmaster. More than 8000 Shipmasters from more than 40 Countries are affiliated to IFSMA either through their National Associations (36) or as Individual Members (55). IFSMA is a Federation established to uphold International Standards of Professional Competence for Seafarers commensurate with the need to ensure Safe Operational Practices, Preservation from Human Injury, Protection of the Marine Environment and Safety of Life and Property at Sea. IFSMA may be contacted by email at HQ@ifsma.org, or by phone at +(44) 207 261 0450.

　

　

 The International Harbor Masters' Association (IHMA) was founded in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1996 with more than 250 members in 52 countries worldwide. Membership encompasses almost 80 nations and extends throughout Western and Eastern Europe, Australia, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia. Membership consists of harbormasters from ports large and small, publicly and privately owned, and represents a unique source of up-to-date, hands-on expertise in a range of maritime operations. The objectives of IHMA are to: promote the safe, secure and environmentally sound conduct of marine operations in port waters; develop and foster collaboration and good relations among harbor masters world-wide; represent the professional views of harbor masters internationally, regionally and nationally; promote the professional standing and interests of harbor masters generally; collect, collate and supply information of professional interest to the membership and to provide any other service to the membership that may be deemed appropriate. IHMA may be contacted by email at secretary.ihma@harbourmaster.org, or by phone at +44 1329 832771.

　

　

 International Maritime Pilots' Association (IMPA) is a professional, nonprofit body with an international outlook. It is primarily concerned with promoting professional standards of pilotage worldwide in the interests of pilots' safety. It seeks to fulfill this task by encouraging both consultation between its members and the exchange of technical information with other industry partners and regulators at the local, national and international levels. To date, it has some 8,000 members in well over 40 countries. IMPA may be contacted by email at secgen@impahq.org, or by phone at +(44) 20 7240 3973.

　

　

 International Parcel Tankers Association (IPTA) serves to further the interests of member companies while promoting better relations in or affecting the bulk liquids cargo industry. IPTA cooperated for many years with the European Coastal Chemical Tankers Organization - ECCTO - and as a result of the recognition of their common interests a joint secretariat was established in 1998. IPTA, recognized as an international organization with expertise in the specialized parcel/chemical tanker field, was granted consultative status as a Non-Governmental Organization to the IMO in 1997. IPTA members are committed to the enhancement of Maritime Safety and the protection of the Marine Environment. IPTA may be contacted by email at mail@ipta.org.uk, or by phone at(44) 1524-811 892.

　

　

 The idea behind ISMA at its foundation in 1991 was to improve standards in ship management and achieve a safer, more environmentally conscious, more reliable, and more controllable ship management industry. This continues to be the goal of the Association. As an association, ISMA represents the views of its members in international organizations such as IMO and European Union and groups such as BIMCO. ISMA acts as a forum for the exchange of information among members, and promotes both the Association and its members on the basis of their pursuit of quality not only within the shipping industry, but also with insurers, port and flag states and the press. ISMA's mission: establish and maintain the ISMA Best Practice Guidelines as the leading tool for ship managers; encourage the highest standards in ship and crew management through innovation, creativity, and the sharing of knowledge amongst its members; provide a forum for discussion on matters of common interest to the ship and crew management industries; and promote the interests of ship and crew management industries in general. ISMA may be contacted by email at secretary@isma-london.org, or by phone at +44 (0) 1403 733070.

　

　

 ISF is a broad based international employers' organization dedicated to maritime manpower issues. In the plethora of international organizations, ISF represents the employer, explaining employers' activities to the media. To others, ISF is an authority on the STCW Convention and assists with advice on its detailed technical requirements. Externally, ISF has consultative status with the International Labor Organization (ILO), and with the International Maritime Organization (IMO). ISF reviews United States developments through links with a Washington office and attends, though ILO, meetings of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control Committee. ISF, with national shipowner association members from Eastern and Western Europe, the Indian Sub-Continent, the Asia/Pacific Region, the Middle East and North, Central and South America, provides a forum for employers to co-ordinate effectively and influence events on maritime human resources issues. ISF is the sister organization of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). ISF may be contacted via the Chamber of Shipping of America by email at info@knowships.com or by phone at (202) 775-4399.

　

　

 The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) is a non-profit organization, involved in all aspects of preparing for and responding to ship-source spills of oil and chemicals in the marine environment. ITOPF was established after the Torrey Canyon incident¹² administer the voluntary compensation agreement, TOVALOP, which assured the adequate and timely payment of compensation to those affected by oil spills. TOVALOP came to an end on February 20, 1997. ITOPF now devotes considerable effort to a wide range of technical services, of which the most important is responding to spills of oil and chemicals. Other services ITOPF provides include damage assessment, contingency planning, training and information. ITOPF may be contacted at central@itopf.com, or by phone at +44 (0) 20 7566

　

　

 The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) is an international trade union federation of transport workers' unions. 624 unions representing 4,400,000 transport workers in 142 countries are members of the ITF. It is one of several Global Federation Unions allied with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). The aims of the ITF are: to promote respect for trade union and human rights worldwide; to work for peace based on social justice and economic progress; to help its affiliated unions defend the interests of their members; to provide research and information services to its affiliates; and to provide general assistance to transport workers in difficulty. Although the range of ITF activities is very wide, they can be best summed up under three key headings: representation, information, and practical solidarity. The ITF represents the interests of transport workers' unions in bodies which take decisions affecting jobs, employment conditions or safety in the transport industry, such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The ITF may be contacted at mail@itf.org.uk.

　

　

 The Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO) is the international body established for the exchange of technical information and experience, between members of the industry, to enhance the safety and operational reliability of gas tankers and terminals. To this end the Society publishes studies and produces information papers and works of reference for the guidance of industry members. It maintains working relationships with other industry bodies, governmental and intergovernmental agencies, including IMO, to promote the safety and integrity of gas transportation and storage schemes. SIGTTO may be contacted by email at secretariat@sigtto.org, or by phone at +44 (0) 20 7628 - 1124.

　

　

 The World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) was established in 1998 to promote sound and objective principles for ensuring radioactive materials are transported safely, efficiently and reliably within a secure international framework. WNTI is the only body dedicated to presenting the industry point of view on radioactive materials transport from an international perspective. WNTI is a global industrial organization for all sectors of the radioactive materials transport industry. WNTI is active on an international level where the views and interests of industry need to be represented, in particular, intergovernmental organizations such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which play a key role in establishing standards and regulations that apply to radioactive materials transport. WNTI may be contacted by email at wnti@wnti.co.uk, or by phone in the North America office at (202) 785-8101.

　

　

 The World Shipping Council is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing more than forty liner shipping companies serving America's international trade. Council members include the largest container lines in the world as well as smaller niche carriers, and carriers providing roll-on/roll-off and heavy-lift services. In addition to ocean transportation, they provide a wide range of intermodal and logistics services to American importers and exporters. The Council's goal is to provide a coordinated voice for the liner shipping industry in its work with policymakers and other industry groups interested in international transportation issues, including: maritime security, regulatory policy, tax issues, safety, the environment, harbor dredging and upgrading the infrastructure needed to handle America's booming trade. The World Shipping Council may be contacted by email at info@worldshipping.org, or by phone at (202) 589-1230.