ISCOS Objectives

The objectives have been adjusted from time to time in order to reposition and repackage the organization to play significant role in regional shipping affairs. The main objectives are as follows:-

  • Serve the regional and international community as a one stop center of excellence for regional maritime matters and total logistics;
  • Ensure that the region is served by adequate and competetive shipping services;
  • Promote public and private sector investments in international and coastal shipping services and inland waterways;
  • Facilitate the contracting parties to ratify and implement international maritime conventions and agreements on, among others, shipping safety, security, maritime pollution and training.

ISCOS Functions

ISCOS performs the following functions on behalf of the Members:-

  • Advising the Governments on the best means of containing the increases in freight rates and transport costs or other adverse changes within the shipping industry;
  • Undertaking research and compiling statistical data with a view to advising the Governments on the level and structure of freight rates, port operating costs, conditions of marine carriage and other factors related to sea transportation;
  • Conducting negotiations with shipping conferences, shipowners, operators of shipping lines and other related bodies concerning freight rates and conditions of maritime transport;
  • Carrying out studies upon request of any of the Governments;
  • Undertaking consultations with stakeholders for the adoption of common position by contracting parties on maritime matters and/or in multilateral negotiations with third party countries or international and regional maritime organizations;
  • Promoting various bodies, and activities which are likely to facilitate the development of maritime and inland waterways sectors and in particular, acting as an early warning centre on shipping matters, and providing statistical and economic analysis of maritime transport and inland waterways sectors;
  • Encouraging the development and strengthening national shipper associations, and other institutions in the member states;
  • Promoting mechanisms and developing strategies aimed at improving the flow of traffic through the ports;
  • Participating in strengthening intra-regional cooperation for each category involved in maritime transport, shipping companies, ports and port operators, shippers, clearing and forwarding agents and cargo consolidators;
  • Intensifying consultations between the contracting parties and cooperation between the maritime administrations with a view to harmonizing and improving the operating conditions of the entire maritime transport system;
  • Defining and advising contracting parties regarding sector based policies and common standards in the fields of shipping services, development of indigenous Multimodal Transport Operators (MTOs), port operations and modalities of enhancing services to landlocked countries;
  • Advising contracting parties regarding vessel inspection requirements with the view to improving the safety of shipping and the protection of the marine, river and lake environment;
  • Promoting, articulating and coordinating effective partnership between governments and private sector in enhancing investment in and management of deep-sea, coastal, multimodal and inland waterways services;
  • Facilitating the development and growth of a viable/efficient regional deep-sea and coastal shipping industry, inter alia, ship owning, registration, operation, chartering and promotion of joint ventures, and alliances to achieve economies of scale;
  • Advising contracting parties on commercial implications of the maintenance of the safety and security of maritime transport services including advising on matters relating to integrated coast guard services, port state control and joint search and rescue operations;
  • Strengthening maritime training institutions and harmonizing training programs for both sea going and shore based personnel;
  • Advising contracting parties on ways and means of maintaining a competitive maritime and inland waterways transport service with a view to effectively contributing to poverty alleviation in the region;
  • Sensitizing the contracting parties on matters of development of human resources, gender matters in shipping and HIV scourge and any other pandemics in the maritime sector;
  • Providing technical assistance to contracting parties in adopting/acceding to relevant maritime conventions, particularly those concerning safety of life and property at sea, carriage of goods by sea, oil pollution, marine environment protection, ship and port facility security;
  • Coordinating and facilitating shipper organizations in freight cost consultations/negotiations with terminal and transport operators;
  • Promoting the establishment of regional shipping lines with private sector participation;
  • Encouraging contracting parties to establish open- ship register in order to attract investment in shipping;
  • Carrying out any other function as members may direct from time to time in the attainment of the objectives of the organization.