International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations

The International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations (IFSMA), is the international professional organisation that unites and represents the world's serving Shipmasters.

International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations
AbbreviationIFSMA
Formation1974
TypeInternational Professional Organisation
PurposeTo be the Serving Shipmasters' International Voice
HeadquartersBorough Road
London, SE1
United Kingdom
Region served
Global
Membership
16,000 Shipmasters (2015)
Official language
English
Secretary General
Commodore Jim Scorer
President
Captain Hans Sande
Main organ
General Assembly
AffiliationsInternational Maritime Organization, International Labour Organization
Websitewww.ifsma.org

The IFSMA is primarily concerned with representing the interests of the serving Shipmasters in bodies such as the International Maritime Organization, the International Labour Organization and other relevant, international and national organisations.

The purpose of IFSMA is to bring the Shipmasters' views on matters of marine safety, maritime security and protection of the marine environment to recognition at the required level and, at the same time, to forge a more exclusive and professional status for Shipmasters, one based upon their professional responsibility toward both shipowners and society.

The IFSMA is concerned about both international standards of professional competence for seafarers and international standards on conditions of work for seafarers.

The IFSMA is a federation with a policy to ensure safe operational practices, to prevent human injury, to protect the marine environment and to ensure the safety of life and property at sea.

The IFSMA headquarters are located in London, United Kingdom.

About

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History

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IFSMA was formed by eight National Shipmasters' Associations and formally constituted on 1 January 1974, in Rotterdam[1] with the aim to unite the world's serving Shipmasters into a single non-profit making international professional organisation.[2]

The IFSMA office was moved to London in 1983 for close proximity to the London headquarters of the United Nations (UN) International Maritime Organization (IMO) at which IFSMA had been granted consultative status in 1975, only one year after IFSMAs inauguration. This consultative status as a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) enables IFSMA to represent the views and protect the interests of the serving Shipmasters unfettered and unfiltered either by national governments or by shipping companies.

In February 1993, IFSMA was placed on the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Special List of Non-Governmental International Organisations.

In the beginning of 2011, IFSMA started the MasterMarinerBenefitProgram™ a specialized benefit program for all serving Shipmasters, who are either a member of one of the IFSMA Member Associations or an IFSMA Individual Member.

In 2014, over 16,000 Shipmasters from almost 60 different countries are affiliated to IFSMA, either through their National Associations or as Individual Members.

IFSMA Founding Associations

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IFSMA, the International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations was founded in 1974 by the following eight National Shipmasters' Associations:[3]

  • Association Nationale des Officiers et Marine du Commerce, Le Maillon, Paris, France
  • Collegio Nazionale Patentati Capitani L.C. e D.M., Genova, Italy
  • The Irish Institute of Master Mariners, Dublin, Ireland
  • Koninklijk Belgisch Zeemannscollege, Antwerp, Belgium
  • Nederlandse Vereniging van Kapiteins ter Koopvaardij, Rotterdam, Netherlands
  • Norges Skibsforerforbund, Oslo, Norway
  • The Society of Master Mariners South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa
  • Verband Deutscher Kapitäne und Schiffsoffiziere, Hamburg, Germany

Presidents

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PresidentPeriodCountry of Origin [4]
Captain Ragnar Grønsand1974 - 1986  Norway
Captain Gerhard Goldberg1986 - 1994  Germany
Captain Hiroshi Kawashima1994 - 1998  Japan
Captain Christer Lindvall1998 - 2014  Sweden
Captain Hans Sande2014–Present  Norway

Secretaries General

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Secretary GeneralPeriodCountry of Origin [5]
Captain F. P. A. Jamin01/1974 - 04/1974  Netherlands
Captain Walter B. Vickers, CBE04/1974 - 11/1974  United Kingdom
Commodore William E. Warwick, CBE11/1974 - 11/1975  United Kingdom
Commander Basil D. H. Thomson11/1975 - 07/1976  United Kingdom
Captain Nic W. C. Rutherford1981 - 1991  United Kingdom
Captain David S. P. Moore1991 - 1993  United Kingdom
Captain Roger Clipsham1993 - 2001  United Kingdom
Captain Rodger M. MacDonald2001 - 2012  United Kingdom
Captain John W. Dickie2012 - 2015  United Kingdom
Captain Paul R. Owen (acting)2015 - 2016  United Kingdom
Commodore Jim Scorer2016 - present  United Kingdom
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Websitewww.ifsma.org/resources/Legal-Insurance-SUMMARY.pdf

The policy of insurance shall be for the benefit of the nominated Ship Master and Chief Engineer and deemed thereafter to be the assured and shall remain in force throughout the currency of the policy whilst the assured is performing his or her duties as a Ship Master/Chief Engineer whilst officially assigned to a vessel.

The Senior Officer Legal Insurance is fully backed by the well known and leading international marine insurance market Lloyd's of London.

Senior Officer Legal Insurance provides for:

The above list is not exhaustive and the full policy conditions should be consulted before taking advantage of the IFSMA Senior Officer Legal Insurance Cover.

Membership

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Member Associations

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CountryAssociationAcronymJoint
 ArgentinaCentro de Capitanes de Ultramar y Oficiales de la Marina MercanteCCUMM1980
 AustraliaCompany of Master Mariners of AustraliaCMMA2009
 BelgiumKoninklijk Belgisch ZeemanscollegeKBZ1974
 CanadaCompany of Master Mariners of CanadaCMMC2007
 ChileCapitanes de Alta Mar de la Marina Mercante NacionalNAUTILUS2006
 DenmarkDanish Maritime OfficersDMO1984
 Faroe IslandsFøroya Skipara- og NavigatørfelagFSN2008
 FinlandFinish Ships Officers UnionFSOU1996
 FranceAssociation des Capitaines et Officiers de la Marine MarchandeACOMM1975
 FranceAssociation Francaise des Capitaines de NaviresAFCAN1979
 GermanyVerband Deutscher Kapitäne und SchiffsoffiziereVDKS1974
 Hong KongAnglo Eastern Ship ManagementAESM1999
 IndonesiaIndonesian Merchant Marine Officers' AssociationIMMOA2016
 IrelandIrish Institute of Master MarinersIIMM1974
 JapanJapan Captains AssociationJCA2008
 LatviaLatvian Shipmasters' AssociationLSMA2004
 NetherlandsNautilus InternationalNAUTILUS NL2006
 NetherlandsNederlandse Vereniging van Kapiteins ter KoopvaardijNVKK1974
 NorwayNorwegian Maritime Officers AssociationNMOA1974
 PakistanMaster Mariners Society of PakistanMMSP2010
 PhilippinesAssociated Marine Officers' and Seamen's Union of the PhilippinesAMOSUP2006
 PhilippinesSociety of Filipino Ship CaptainsFILSCAPTS2010
 RussiaFar Eastern Seamasters' AssociationFESMA1990
 SingaporeSingapore Maritime Officers' UnionSMOU2012
 SpainAsociacion Vizcaina de Capitanes de la Marina MercanteAVCMM1976
 SwedenMaritime Officers`AssociationMOA1985
 TurkeyTurkish Overseas Captains' AssociationTOCA2013
 UkraineOdessa Shipmasters' AssociationOSMA1989
 United KingdomNautilus InternationalNAUTILUS UK2006
 United States of AmericaCouncil of American Master MarinersCAMM1992
 United States of AmericaInternational Organisation of Masters Mates and PilotsIOMMP2020

Honorary Members

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NameCountry of OriginPositionElected
Captain Willem F. J. Mörzer Bruyns Sr.  NetherlandsFirst Vice President, IFSMA19821996
H.E. Dr. Chandrika Prasad Srivastava, KCMG  IndiaSecretary-General Emeritus, The International Maritime Organization19852013
Commodore William E. Warwick, CBE  United KingdomSecretary General (retired), IFSMA19921999
Captain Nic W. C. Rutherford  United KingdomSecretary General (retired), IFSMA19922012
H.E. Mr. William A. O'Neil, CMG, CM  CanadaSecretary-General Emeritus, The International Maritime Organization19932022
Captain Henrik Sem  NorwayIFSMA Representative to IMO19932008
Captain Gerhard Goldberg  GermanyPresident Emeritus, IFSMA19952007
Captain Genji Yoshinaga  JapanFormer Liaison Officer of JCA to IFSMA19972014
Captain Anna I. Schetinina  RussiaWorld's first Female Shipmaster in the Merchant Navy19981999
Captain Hiroshi Kawashima  JapanPresident Emeritus, IFSMA19982012
Captain Roger Clipsham  United KingdomSecretary General (retired), IFSMA20022014
H.E. Admiral Efthimios E. Mitropoulos  GreeceSecretary-General Emeritus, The International Maritime Organization2004
Mr. C. Julian Parker, OBE  United KingdomInaugural Secretary (retired), The Nautical Institute2009
Mr. Michael Grey, MBE  United KingdomEditor (retired), Lloyd's List2009
H.E. Mr. Koji Sekimizu  JapanSecretary-General Emeritus, The International Maritime Organization2012
Captain Rodger M. MacDonald  United KingdomSecretary General (retired), IFSMA2012
Captain Christer Lindvall  SwedenPresident Emeritus, IFSMA2014
Captain Bjorn Haave  NorwayIFSMA Representative to IMO2014
H.E. Mr. Kitack Lim  KoreaSecretary-General, The International Maritime Organization2018
Captain Koichi Akatsuka  JapanVice President, IFSMA2019
H.E. Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco  PanamaSecretary-General, The International Maritime Organization2024

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Rutherford, N. W. (1988). "The International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations". IALA Bulletin. 1988 (4).
  2. ^ "International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations". Digital Ship and Inmarsat. Archived from the original on 2007-12-16. Retrieved 2012-01-22. The IFSMA is a non-profit making organisation that was formed from the merger of several shipmasters' associations in 1974. It has strong links with the IMO and purposes to uphold international competency standards to ensure safety of life at sea.
  3. ^ IFSMA 37th AGA Proceedings - PART A. 2011. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ Clipsham, Roger (1999). Long, Kenneth A. (ed.). International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations - A Commemorative Publication. pp. 11–16.
  5. ^ Clipsham, Roger (1999). Long, Kenneth A. (ed.). International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations - A Commemorative Publication. pp. 11–16.
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International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations

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Member associations

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Other relevant organisations

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