With this feat, GCS has joined a growing league of ICS members based in West Africa with the Liberian Shipowners’ Council and Nigerian Chamber of Shipping already admitted as members.

The move, which makes the chamber a third member in Africa, is expected to help strengthen relationships across the maritime sector as the industry continues to work together to find solutions to collective issues, including piracy, seafarer welfare and training, digitalisation, automation and decarbonisation.

Welcome

In a release issued in Accra yesterday, the Secretary-General of the ICS, Guy Platten, said: “I am delighted to welcome the GCS to ICS membership.”

He said the shipping industry was facing challenges from how it could decarbonise the sector to making sure seafarers had equal access to training and support as the industry went through the green transition.

“Now more than ever, we know the importance of collaboration to achieve our collective goals and tackle pressing issues facing our industry.

“This membership will enhance our ability to work together, and along with the rest of the ICS secretariat, I look forward to working with the GCS, ” he said.

The maritime community

The President of GCS, Ben Owusu-Mensah, said the Ghanaian maritime community was pleased with the acceptance of the chamber into the fold of the ICS.

He said there was no doubt that Ghana, a formidable maritime nation with strong maritime credentials, stood to benefit immensely from the repertoire of knowledge and information that the ICS shared with its members towards resolving the multifaceted maritime industry challenges.

“Ghanaian maritime operators working through the GCS stand to benefit immensely from ICS’s rich expertise and best practices in handling technical, legal and trade policy issues that impact their shipping operations,” he said.

Launched in 2018, the GCS champions and protects Ghana’s maritime industry, working with governments, parliaments and international organisations on behalf of its members.

The chamber serves as a veritable platform for dialogue and collaboration among the various maritime stakeholders and articulates the views of the maritime actors towards reshaping policy for national development.