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On the Day of the Seafarer, the Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association (KBRV) joins the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in supporting the 2025 theme, “My Harassment-Free Ship.” This global initiative underscores the vital importance of fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive working environment for all seafarers. Diversity, equity, and inclusion—including the empowerment of women and other underrepresented groups—are essential for the long-term success of the maritime industry.

At the event organised on the Day of the Seafarer by the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA) at the Antwerp Maritime Academy with the support of the Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Association (KBRV), we interviewed some of the speakers on the future of the maritime sector.

The KBRV attended the event organised on the Day of the Seafarer by the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA) at the Antwerp Maritime Academy, opened by Paul Van Tigchelt, Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and the North Sea.

Under Belgium's Rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the North Sea, Paul Van Tigchelt, is hosting a Brussels Conference on the Wellbeing of Seafarers. This ministerial event will take place in Brussels' Egmont Palace on 8 March, International Women’s Day. 

As a major maritime player, Belgium regularly has vessels operating in the Persian Gulf region. The Royal Belgian Shipowners' Association (KBRV) is following the rapidly escalating situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf with the utmost concern. The KBRV is in close and constant contact with its members and the Belgian authorities to guarantee the safety of Belgian shipping in the region.

At the forthcoming second meeting of the Joint ILO-IMO Tripartite Working Group to Identify and Address Seafarers’ Issues and the Human Element (27-29 February 2024), participants will discuss the follow-up of the resolution on harassment and bullying including sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) in the maritime sector.

The Antwerp-based family business Fast Lines Belgium is a well-known logistic and maritime actor in Belgium and abroad. Besides its HQ in Antwerp, the company has subsidiaries in the UK, Ireland, and Poland. This international character is also evident in their cosy office at the Scheldekaaien, where employees of various nationalities can be found. Like the Polish Iga Cierpiel (27), Shipping & Sustainability Engineer. She’s been developing her maritime career for some time now, and she’s in charge of making all services offered by Fast Lines more sustainable.

In her role as Head of Marketing and Communications of CMB, Katrien Hennin (36) attempts to inform, and above all inspire, companies and industries who strive for a harmonious balance between economic growth and ecological sustainability.

It’s not just the employees on board that matter, if you want to sail the right course as a maritime company.

Exactly a year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. This major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War plunged Europe and the rest of the world into an energy and food crisis. This invasion surprised many who thought that armed conflicts of this degree would nowadays not be possible on European soil. Especially after a global pandemic that had just brought the whole world to its knees by incapacitating the supply chain of goods and raw material.