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The Cyprus Shipping Council was formed on the 26th of January 1989, for the main purpose of
':..promoting the interest of Cyprus Shipping and furthering the reputation of the Cyprus flag, whilst promoting and protecting the interests of its Members both nationally and internationally... "
In December 1990, the Council was granted the status of a company limited by guarantee and became therefore, fully constituted under the Cyprus Company Law. The affairs of the Council are run by an Executive Committee whose nine members are elected for a two-year term. >
| Full Members | 37 |
| Associate Members | 58 |
| Affiliate Members | 1 |
| Overseas Members | 7 |
Broadly, Full Members are owners, managers and operators who are based and operate from Cyprus, while Associate Members, are Cyprus-based companies whose main line of business is shipping. Affiliate Members on the other hand, are shipowning companies which do not operate from Cyprus and Overseas Members, are persons based abroad, who offer shipping or shipping related services to other Members. The precise definitions of the various types of membership are contained in Articles 5- 7a of the Articles of Association of the Council.
The Members of the Council own and/or manage from Cyprus more than 800 vessels exceeding 13.5 million gross tons.
Monthly Members' Meetings are held throughout the year, except in July and August. These Meetings start with a briefing of Members by the President on the latest activities of the Council and then invited speakers give short lectures on a variety of shipping related subjects. The lectures are followed by a social hour which provides a regular opportunity for the shipping community to get together. One of the many services provided to Members is the distribution of a Monthly Review with information concerning the activities of the Council, its Members and other shipping issues. In addition, Circulars are sent regularly on subjects of more technical or urgent nature.
Since its formation, the Council has become an influential body in local maritime affairs and today no policy decisions concerning shipping matters are taken by the Government without consulting the Council. This hasbeen achieved through the participation of the Council at numerous joint working groups or ad-hoc committees with various Government Departments, and in particular the Ministry of Communications and Works and its Department of Merchant Shipping, with which the Council maintains excellent relations. Furthermore, the Council is regularly called to appear before Parliamentary Committees as the representative body of the Cyprus Shipping Industry, when matters affecting shipping are discussed at the House of Representatives.
In our dealings with the various Ministries and Departments, the Council's primary objective is to assist the Government at all levels to adapt existing laws, policies and procedures to the requirements of the rapidly growing Cyprus fleet in a world which is more competitive and at the same time more conscious of the need to raise quality, improve safety and protect the environment. An example of the Council's cooperation with the Government is the Council's participation in the Organizing Committee of the Maritime Cyprus Conference. This prestigious international event takes place on a bi-annual basis with hundreds of shipping executives attending from a11 over the world.
The Council has also established a close co-operation with other private sector organisations, such as the Cyprus Industrialists and Employers Federation, where the Council's Secretariat participates in their Services Committee. We also represent both the Federation and the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Labour Advisory Board whenever maritime labour issues, such as the ILO Convention No. 147, are discussed. In addition, the Council is involved in the Cyprus Offshore Business Coordinating Committee, which addresses issues of concern to the overall offshore industry in Cyprus.
In 1990, the Council was elected Member of the International Shipping Federation, which looks after the employment interests of shipowners on an international basis and has as members, most of the national associations of the maritime nations worldwide. Council Members and the Council's Secretariat participate actively in various committees of the ISF. Furthermore, in 1994, the President of the Council, Mr. Klaus Å. Oldendorff, was elected Vice-President of the ISF. In 1993, the Council was admitted to the membership of the International Chamber of Shipping which is the international association of national shipping associations and represents over 50 per cent of the world's fleet. In 1995, the Council became a member of the Baltic and International Maritime Council. In May 1995, Mr. Zenon Katsourides and Capt. Dirk Fry were elected to the Board of Directors of BIMCO representing Cyprus, as Director and Substitute Director, respectively.
Members of the Council regularly participate in many international meetings, including the International Labour and International Maritime Organisation meetings in Geneva and London and in a number of their Committees, where the Council functions as consultant to the Government representatives. Members of the Executive Committee have also acted as ambassadors for Cyprus Shipping and have spoken at conferences organised by the Department of Merchant Shipping in London, New York, Singapore, Hamburg, Hong Kong and Gothenburg. Such international meetings are being planned again in conjunction with the Department of Merchant Shipping and the Central Bank of Cyprus.
An aspect of our efforts to improve the local maritime infrastructure that deserves special mention is the establishment of an Employment and Training Scheme of Office Personnel for Council Members. Since 1993, we have selected suitably qualified school-leavers for whom we find employment with Member companies. During the first three years of their employment, these trainees receive weekly tuition from our Training Officer for the purpose of qualifying for membership of the London Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers. At the same time they receive practical training within their companies. In addition, a number of existing personnel, take the Institute's examinations as a form of upgraded training. In this way we hope that soon Cyprus will also be known for its highly-skilled maritime labour force. We have no doubt that by encouraging more young and well-trained people to enter the local maritime industry, we will have laid strong foundations for the development of a maritime tradition that will promote quality and safety.
Furthermore, the Council has for a number of years been co-operating with the Cyprus Higher Technical Institute, in placing on-board Members' ships, second-year Marine Engineering students for their summer practical training.
In addition to the activities mentioned above, our Members are actively involved in the training of seagoing personnel from new entrants to the industry and the upgrading of personnel to higher ranks. Members are committed to the improvement of the skills of a11 their employees through courses on topics such as safety, environmental protection, etc.
A survey conducted by the Council in 1995, into the training undertaken by a sample of its Members produced quite interesting results.
Most companies which returned the questionnaires have some form of training for cadets, with the training period varying between six months and four years. The total number of cadets being trained onboard exceeds three hundred. In addition, most companies provide training for officers and ratings whilst at sea and some 1994 officers and in excess of 3279 ratings receive onboard training with a further 1876 officers and ratings receiving training ashore. Normally a11 onboard training is supervised by existing staff but in some cases special instructors for onboard training are provided. In other companies the training of cadets, in particular, was limited to specially selected vessels with staff onboard, who are accustomed to training and in certain instances, additional staff are put onboard to cope with the training program.
All of the companies provide onshore training of one sort or another with four companies actually running or participating in their own schools and a fifth financially supporting approved training schools.
The others utilize local facilities for which they pay. The training covers many subjects, including compliance with the requirements of international conventions such as the STCW, firefighting, survival and promotion training. In five companies, the training is provided in-house with others either using local schools or combining with a government or another employer to provide the training facilities. Upgrading and refresher courses are provided by nine companies, both for officers and ratings and cover a wide variety of subjects ranging from tanker safety GDMSS, radar and computers. From the above, it will be appreciated that Council Members take their obligations on training both on board and ashore very seriously indeed, and the Council must be one of the most active organisations worldwide in this respect.
The Council's intention in the years to come is to continue to serve its Members both nationally and internationally whilst at the same time promoting and enhancing the Cyprus flag as a registry that is prepared and willing to shoulder its international responsibilities with respect to quality shipping, marine safety and the environment.
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