One of the ways that IACS contributes to driving forward pan-industry initiatives is through the use of Joint Working Groups (JWGs). These are established periodically in response to a particular technical or policy development where it is recognised that either additional operational/3rd party input is required or where the issue identified clearly affects not only IACS Members but other segments of the industry. The objective of establishing a JWG is to allow other stakeholders to assist IACS in the development of a Resolution (URs, UIs or PRs) or Recommendation that will be of value to the wider industry.
Tripartite meetings – so called because their principal participation comes from shipyards, ship-owners and classification societies – have been held annually since 2002. Tripartite meets, on a rotating basis, in one of the major shipbuilding nations (China, Japan, Korea) and the meetings were originally established to facilitate high-level discussions between the parties on areas of policy and common interest. The original meeting in Shanghai discussed matters such as shipbuilding standards, contractual relationships and ship yard capacity. Important outcomes included universal acknowledgement of the need to ensure that ships were designed and built ‘fit for purpose’ and there was general acceptance of the desirability of more robust designs.
Over the years Tripartite discussions have covered many important issues and worked well as a unique forum to identify and address key issues facing the industry. Tripartite’s success has, however, led to an increasingly crowded agenda with many highly technical issues being brought forward. In parallel, the years since Tripartite’s inception have also seen an increase in the provision of technical forums where such matters can be better discussed.
