This version was withdrawn and replaced in May 2026. Leaflet prepared jointly by ICS, IMO and UNHCR providing guidance on relevant legal provisions, and on practical procedures to ensure the prompt disembarkation of survivors of rescue operations, and measures to meet their specific needs, particularly in the case of refugees and asylum-seekers.
This shipping industry Guidance was initially published in 2014 by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) in response to the large number of migrants attempting to get to Europe and requiring rescue by merchant ships in the Mediterranean. This second edition has been updated to take account of the experience of shipping companies, Masters and crews. It is also is also supported by the following industry organisations: ASF, ECSA, ETF, ITF, CLIA, Intercargo, Intermanager, Intertanko and IPTA.
The global shipping industry, represented at the United Nations Conference in Paris by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), fully supports a global deal on climate change.
The global trade association for merchant shipowners, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), has modified its stance towards the ratification by governments of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Ballast Water Management Convention, which has still not yet entered into force having been adopted more than 10 years ago.
Speaking at a high level Dialogue on Protection at Sea, hosted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has called on governments to address the growing refugee and migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.
In response to the continuing crisis in the Mediterranean, necessitating commercial ships to rescue tens of thousands of migrants and refugees during 2014, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published new Guidance on Large Scale Rescue Operations at Sea,
A fully updated edition of the definitive industry guidance on the safe operation of chemical tankers has just been published by the shipping industry’s global trade association, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).