The September 2026 welcome message from the AMWS Chairman,
Mr David Parmeter
Mr David Parmeter
Hello everyone and welcome to the September 2026 edition of the Seafarer Welfare Bulletin.
On Thursday 24 September, World Maritime Day will be celebrated by the United Nations. For the first time, the theme of the day will run for two years, from 2026 to 2027 and the theme is: “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence”.
The theme is said to highlight the International Maritime Organization’s commitment to putting policies into practice by providing technical assistance, training, capacity-building, knowledge sharing and other essential services to support IMO Member States across the maritime sector.
This is an important development as the maritime industry is constantly changing and evolving. In that regard it is encouraging to see a greater emphasis on the human factor in shipping - that is, the crews sailing on vessels - as an integral part of the business of shipping. Several promising independent developments point in the same direction: mental health research, insurers, AMSA and new-fuel guidance are all increasingly treating crew welfare as an operational and safety issue rather than something separate from the “real business” of shipping. AMWS welcomes this development and we encourage all stakeholders to ensure it continues.
As someone who has worked in the industry I know the importance of technology and steel, freight rates and charter parties. But we must always remember the people are just as important and an integral part of our industry.
I trust you will enjoy this edition of the newsletter.
On Thursday 24 September, World Maritime Day will be celebrated by the United Nations. For the first time, the theme of the day will run for two years, from 2026 to 2027 and the theme is: “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence”.
The theme is said to highlight the International Maritime Organization’s commitment to putting policies into practice by providing technical assistance, training, capacity-building, knowledge sharing and other essential services to support IMO Member States across the maritime sector.
This is an important development as the maritime industry is constantly changing and evolving. In that regard it is encouraging to see a greater emphasis on the human factor in shipping - that is, the crews sailing on vessels - as an integral part of the business of shipping. Several promising independent developments point in the same direction: mental health research, insurers, AMSA and new-fuel guidance are all increasingly treating crew welfare as an operational and safety issue rather than something separate from the “real business” of shipping. AMWS welcomes this development and we encourage all stakeholders to ensure it continues.
As someone who has worked in the industry I know the importance of technology and steel, freight rates and charter parties. But we must always remember the people are just as important and an integral part of our industry.
I trust you will enjoy this edition of the newsletter.
