About the ICSW
Who we are
ICSW brings together and supports organisations from around the world involved in seafarers' welfare both onboard and ashore. We work with companies, unions, governments, welfare organisations (secular and faith based) and ports.
Welfare facilities are sometimes still seen by many ship owners, port authorities and administrations as unnecessary rather than essential for a healthy, efficient and safe crew. Our work to address this lack of understanding is even more crucial with the impending ratification of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 that focuses on seafarers' welfare and wellbeing.
The leading members of ICSW include the International Shipping Federation (ISF), International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), and the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA). The ILO is an observer organisation on our board of trustees. Other organisations such as National Seafarer Welfare Boards, Government seafarer services, shipping companies, and individual welfare organisations are also members.
What we do
We run a series of programmes to establish welfare facilities and services throughout the world and help channel resources to enhance welfare provision in ports. For example, in
We have trained over 900 ship visitors around the world to go on board to befriend seafarers, provide advice, and enable them to contact home. We also produce and distribute information for seafarers on improving health and preventing diseases such as HIV and malaria and a port directory with details of welfare provision and local amenities.
Other projects include an online toolkit on seafarers’ welfare and fundraising capacity building for local seafarer welfare organisations.
