28 May 2024
Hong Kong

Press Release
Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA)
33rd Annual General Meeting
Hosted byHong Kong Shipowners Association
Hong Kong“Asia Shipping, Greener Together”
The Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA) held its 33rd Annual General Meeting(AGM) in Hong Kong on 28 May 2024. The meeting was hosted by the Hong Kong
Shipowners Association (HKSOA) and attended by more than 200 representatives
from the ASA member associations. The focus of the meeting was on thechallenges and constraints including safety at sea, manpower at sea anddecarbonisation at sea.
ASA Chairman, Mr Angad Banga, welcomed all members
to the AGM. He said, “The ASA AGM is the premierannual regional event dedicated to advancing theinterests of the Asian shipowning community. This year,
we are also proud to host the 2024 International Shipping
Forum under the theme of “Asia Shipping, GreenerTogether.” We were honoured to welcome the SecretaryGeneral of the International Maritime Organization (IMO),along with many esteemed guests and speakers.
Together, we explored critical topics such as green fuels,
new technologies, training and development, andregulatory compliance.
Calls for Maritime Security Vigilance In The Red Sea
The ASA Safe Navigation and Environment Committee (SNEC) calls for the shipping
industry to prioritise maritime security, in light of the heightened geopolitical tensions
and renewed piracy and armed robbery threats in the Red Sea. The surge ofHouthis attacks off the African coasts presents a significant threat to maritime
operations, endangering the lives of seafarers and the integrity of vessels.
Geopolitical tensions have led to increased military presence and patrols in the RedSea, aimed at safeguarding vessels navigating through the area. The ASA welcomes
these efforts and emphasises the importance of collaboration among regional
stakeholders and international partners to effectively address these challenges.
Ensuring the safety and security of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding areas
is essential to protect the lives of our seafarers, our vessels, and to keep global trade
going. The ASA remains committed to advocating for enhanced maritime security
measures and calls on the shipping industry to remain vigilant in the face of evolving
threats.

-1-Seafarers are at the core of maritime transition towards green and smart
shipping
The ASA Seafarers Committee (SC) discussed that environmental awareness is nolonger a conversation but an obligation, meanwhile smart ships that once looked likea dream are now becoming a reality. With the maritime technological andenvironment friendly innovations and transitions to come in the foreseeable future,seafarers’ competencies and skill sets are expected to change accordingly. The
shipping sector’s success has always been heavily dependent on high-caliber
seafarers. The ASA therefore calls on maritime stakeholders in Asia to get preparedto offer seafarers with an upskilled education, care for their physical and mental
health and well-being, and provide opportunities for their career development.
Crew Welfare, Unfair Criminalization, and Prosecution of Seafarers
The ASA Ship Insurance and Liability Committee (SILC) expresses its deep concern
over the unfair criminalisation and prosecution of seafarers. Seafarers areincreasingly being detained in ports under suspicion of crimes, particularly whendrugs are found on ships. The evidence suggests that in most cases, seafarers arequite unaware of the concealment of drugs or other illegal items on board their ships
and have no involvement in the illegal operations. Yet, they often face unjust
detention and criminal charges, highlighting the urgent need for fair treatment anddue process. The ASA also condemns the unfair criminal prosecution of seafarers in
the aftermath of maritime casualties. Despite stringent safety protocols andadherence to international regulations, seafarers are often unfairly scapegoated andsubjected to legal proceedings following accidents at sea. Such unjust treatment not
only undermines the morale of maritime personnel but also poses a significant threat
to the overall integrity and efficiency of the maritime industry; thus the ASA calls forcomprehensive reforms to ensure the protection of seafarers' rights and to prevent
their unjust criminalisation and prosecution. The ASA urges governments, maritimeorganisations, and relevant stakeholders to adopt fair and transparent legal
frameworks that uphold the principles of justice and due process for seafarers.
Efforts in achieving sustainability of the Global Supply Chain
The ASA Shipping Policy Committee (SPC) said that the safety of crews on boardvessels should be the highest priority and the decision to reroute with extra days wasinevitable under the heightened geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea area and thecontinued water shortage at the Panama Canal. Confronted with the dilemma toalso address further reductions of GHG emissions from shipping, the ASA agreed toseek to secure from the Panama Canal Authority a fair allocation between thedifferent types of vessels regarding reservation slots whilst restrictive measures werein place as well as a commitment to ensure the predictability of their strategic
policies in response to water shortages on a short, medium and long-term basis toallow operators to develop more efficient and environmentally friendly voyage plans.
To achieve those goals, the ASA shared the view that a unified approach by theindustry and regular dialogues with relevant authorities should be ensured.
Furthermore, in response to the recent decisions by the EC and the UK to expire
their consortia regulation, the ASA reconfirmed to take the necessary actions to callfor the maintenance of anti-trust immunity systems in other jurisdictions around theworld as the immunity systems remain indispensable for the efficient operations
which contribute to the reduction of GHG emissions and a better quality of liner
services covering more ports.
The Hong Kong Convention (HKC)The ASA Ship Recycling Committee (SRC) said that the HKC will now enter into
force on 26 June 2025, which is an important milestone for safe and environmentally-2-

friendly ship recycling worldwide. The ASA affirms that we will further promote andstrengthen our standing policy of encouraging the preferential use of HKC-certifiedyards and urging ship recycling yards in relevant countries to upgrade theirinfrastructure and raise the standards of their premises to meet the requirements ofthe HKC. Besides that, there is a need to resolve possible conflicts between theHKC and the Basel Convention and to ensure that compliance with the HKC will not
be sanctioned by the Basel Convention. The ASA also strongly hopes that the EUSRR, a regional regulation, should be aligned with the HKC before its entry intoforce. The ASA will continue to speak out on our arguments for contributing to global
environmental conservation by promoting environmentally friendly ship recycling.
The 33rd ASA AGM officially approved the Ordinary
membership application of the Cook Islands Ship Owners
Association (CISOA). CISOA will be the Ordinary Member of
ASA as from 1 June 2024.
At the same ASA AGM, Mrs Carmelita Hartoto, ViceChairperson of ASA and Chairperson of Federation of ASEAN
Shipowners' Association (FASA), was appointed as the 34th
ASA Chairperson.
She commented that ASA is gaining more recognition in theinternational shipping community and is delighted to have
CISOA come on board the ASA’s Ordinary Membership.
Ms Eleanor Keukura Roi, CEO of CISOA was also appointed as the ViceChairperson of ASA.
On the other hand, Maritime Industry Australia Limited (MIAL) that had been one ofthe Founding Members of ASA since 1992, submitted its resignation notice from theASA Ordinary Membership and ASA accepted it with many regrets. ASA thanked
MIAL for their contributions and support all those years and hoped that MIAL wouldrejoin ASA in future.
The next ASA AGM will be held in Bali, Indonesia, tentatively on 20 May 2025**********For media enquiries, kindly contact:
Dylan Ow
Senior Manager
Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA)
Tel : (+65) 6325 4737
Email : information@asa.org.sg
Website : www.asianshipowners.org
Editor’s Note:
The Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA) is a voluntary organisation of the shipowners’ associations of China,
Cook Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and the Federation of ASEAN Shipowners’ Associations comprisingshipping associations of ASEAN countries.
The aims of the ASA are to promote the interests of Asian shipowners.
Between ASA AGM meetings, the ongoing work is carried out by five Standing Committees:
Seafarers Committee (SC)Ship Insurance and Liability Committee (SILC)
Safe Navigation and Environment Committee (SNEC)
Shipping Policy Committee (SPC)
Ship Recycling Committee (SRC).
It has been estimated that ASA shipowners and managers control and operate around 50% of the world's cargo
carrying fleet.
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