From the CSA president, Juan Carlos Croston

In this regard, the annual meetings of the CSA continue to play a vital role in building strong bridges for the region’s maritime community and the Caribbean Shipping Executives’ Conference (CSEC) will be staged this year, again virtually, on May 24-25. We anticipate a very productive CSEC as we share experiences and ideas that will be of immense value to all participants.

In this period, the CSA has been very active in strengthening our regional and international partnerships. We are in discussions with organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), the World Bank, CARICOM, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Central American Maritime Transportation Commission (COCATRAM) on behalf of our members and the maritime sector.

Protecting

Our proactive involvement in protecting the Caribbean Sea is continuing in our work with the Caribbean Marine Environment Protection Agency (CARIBMEPA). We are committed to the implementation of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) that CARIBMEPA promotes for safe, secure, environmentally sound, efficient and sustainable shipping through cooperation.

The CSA places a very high value on the work of the Women in Maritime Caribbean (WiMAC) and our very close working relationship is indicative of the shared vision of our organizations. Through the joint webinars that we have hosted, and other activities, we have strengthened the call for greater maritime cooperation and coordination in the region, including the enactment in national legislation for IMO/ILO conventions that need to take place as a matter of great urgency.

So, despite the “social distancing” that the pandemic has forced upon us, we have never been closer. Not a day passes that we are not connected and involved in problem-solving across the region - and we can now see how the decades of forging friendships and partnerships, coupled with digitalization, are working for the benefit of all.

Yes, this is a pivotal moment in world history, and the CSA has adopted the position of making the challenges we face a catalyst for positive transformation. You will therefore find encouragement in these pages – in the people who continue make our maritime industry the stable center of our region’s economic development.

Juan Carlos Croston
President
Caribbean Shipping Association