ICS in Action – February 2026
Before recapping what our organisation has been working on in February, we want to highlight that our foremost concern is for the wellbeing of the seafarers and civilians affected by the military conflict in the Straits of Hormuz and surrounding region. The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the European Shipowners (ESCA) and the Asian Shipowner’s Association (ASA) have issued a joint statement in light of the events, which can be read here.
Our secretariat has otherwise been delving into a wide range of projects. This February edition of ICS in Action offers a snippet of what they have been undertaking.
Last week we hosted the first webinar in a new series on alternative technologies for 2026, titled ‘The Emerging Regulatory Pathway for Nuclear Merchant Ships and Floating Nuclear Power Stations.’ Our Principal Marine Director John Stawpert moderated this event, with an impressive lineup of international speakers, including our Technical Director Chris Waddington. Our panel of experts shed light on potential regulatory processes and frameworks which could enable increased nuclear energy usage in shipping. You can read more about the webinar and watch the recording here. There is also a playlist of our past webinars, including this one, on YouTube.
A new free resource has become available on our website. In collaboration with our members, a poster titled ‘Navigating in Areas of Unreliable Satellite Signals’ aims to help bridge officers identify the signs of compromised satellite signals and recommends best practice actions to maintain safe navigation. This will ensure that if any incidents involving GPS jamming or spoofing occur, the crew will be equipped with a step-by-step procedure on how to deal with it.
February also saw the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). The MLC is a crucial instrument to ensure the safety, well-being, and rights of seafarers are a top priority. ICS’ Secretary General, Thomas Kazakos, reflected on this agreement through an opinion piece on our website, which can be read here. We also issued a joint statement alongside the ILO and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which can be read here.
Some other highlights include ICS’ collaboration with the Lloyd’s Market Association (LMA) to update the documents on the Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) Default Agreement LMA5654A. The updated agreement can be found on LMA’s website, here.
The ICS Marine team has been busy at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), contributing to the 12th Session of the Sub-Committee on Pollution, Prevention, and Response (PPR13) and the Human Element, Training, and Watchkeeping (HTW 12) Sub-Committee session. During this session, our commercial team presented the ISF Verify Initiative to our member states. The initiative is a cloud-based platform designed to support the global transition from paper to digital seafarer certificates. To stay updated on the ISF Verify initiative, click here.
The ICS Academy released a new micro-learning module titled ‘Helicopter Operation Procedures for Ships: Managing Freight and Passenger Transfers,’ which guides learners through the safety considerations for freight and passenger transfer operations.
ICS also issued a statement in response to the U.S. Government’s Maritime Action Plan. Whilst ICS supports the objective of increasing U.S. shipbuilding capacity and strengthening the United States shipbuilding industry, we remain opposed to any proposed port fees, including the suggested universal infrastructure or security fee on foreign-built commercial vessels calling at U.S. ports. To read our full statement, click here.
March’s ICS in Action is looking to be just as promising, with multiple events already lined up. For example, our Secretary General will be participating in The Economist Shipping Summit in Athens on the 5th of March and The CMA Shipping Expo and Conference taking place from the 10th-12th. ICS’ Technical Director, Chris Waddington, will additionally be presenting at the RINA Ship Energy Efficiency Conference from the 17th-18th, which you can register for through this link.
Before I end this month’s ICS in Action, I would like to acknowledge the devastating loss of David Dearsley. We released a full tribute on our website, and the thoughts of everyone at ICS is with David’s family and friends.
