Charter of Global Shipping Think Tank Alliance
Chapter 1
General
Article 1
With the development of economic globalization, the internationalization of shipping industry increased accordingly. The shipping industry’s healthy development depends on understanding, cooperation and coordination of the industry among all countries and regions. The Global Shipping Think Tank Alliance (hereinafter referred to as the Alliance) was founded to gather famous shipping think tanks in different regions of the world, set up a platform for exchange and cooperation and promote solid interactions between shipping think tanks and the shipping industry. The Alliance aims to provide more valuable consultation services to the shipping and related maritime industry as well as to respective organizations and administrations and to create win-win benefits community for the promotion of the healthy development of global shipping industry.
Article 2
The Alliance is an unincorporated, not registered and unofficial academic body of shipping research institutes all over the world.
Chapter 2
Founding organizations
Article 3
The group of members of the Alliance includes Centre for Maritime Studies of National University of Singapore (CMS), China Academy of Transportation Sciences of the Ministry of Transport, Drewry, Hong Kong Maritime Research Centre, IMC-Frank Tsao Maritime Library and R&D Center, Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL), Korea Maritime Institute (KMI), Marsoft, Port and Air Research Institute of Japan (PARI), Shipping Development Research Institute of Dalian Maritime University, SRM (Intesa Sanpaolo Banking Group), Shanghai International Shipping Institute (SISI) and World Maritime University Shanghai Center.
Article 4
Based on the Alliance’s development, it will gradually accept other shipping think tanks and develop new members. The absorption of members is by the recommendation of the Secretariat or the submission of application. Such recommendation/application shall be voted by the meeting of the existing members, and one who wins 2/3 consent can become a new member. The Secretariat updates and informs the information of member’s joining and quit.
Chapter 3
Main tasks
Article 5
In principle, the alliance meeting will be held once every year. Members can apply to organize the meeting at their premises. If no one applies, the Secretariat arranges as planned. The meeting’s focus shall be on the hot issues of the shipping industry and forward-looking study and discussion of the new trends. The contents of issues suggested by the Secretariat are in accordance with possible proposals of the members. Meanwhile, the members may exchange and discuss the related information of the global and national developments in the shipping, and actively provide suggestions to the shipping industry and the related organizations.
Article 6
The members of the Alliance are encouraged to carry out cooperative research based on their own characteristics. Funding provided, alliance members will assign personnel to participate in each other’s study. Research funding can be provided by the proposed research or be determined by consultations among partners. If the research task comes from non-member institution, the funding shall be charged by the entrusted institute. Alliance members can jointly publish research reports. The principles of funding are consistent with the principles of collaborative research.
Article 7
While the members’ interest should not be adversely affected and their confidentiality provisions should be complied with, the members shall share information and research results with each other. The Secretariat will establish and maintain its website to promote the development of the alliance and send information bulletins to the members regularly, while source material of the bulletins should be provided by members on a timely basis.
Chapter 4
Organization
Article 8
The Alliance will have a chairman and a secretariat. The chairman is responsible for the overall coordination. Shanghai International Shipping Institute will undertake the first chairman, while later chairmen will be nominated by member organizations and elected at the liaison meetings by vote. The term of chairman is three years.
Article 9
The secretariat is set in SISI with a secretary-general who is appointed by SISI and is responsible for the daily work of the Alliance.
Figure 1 Organizational structure of the Alliance
Chapter 5
Operational mechanism
Article 10
Each member appoints a liaison officer. If the liaison officer is unable to attend the annual liaison meeting, the relevant member shall assign someone else to participate. The meeting can be conducted in the form of correspondence or by video conference. Topics of the meeting include but are not limited to the following:
i. The study of major issues concerning the development of the Alliance, providing guiding advice and communicating and coordinating major tasks in the work agenda;
ii. Summarizing work in the previous year and discussing future work arrangements;
iii. Discussing hotspot issues and trends of the global port and shipping industry, studying the shipping policy of various countries and the world at large and actively putting forth advice;
iv. Voting to elect a new chairman every three years.
Chapter 6
Inviting relevant government departments and enterprises to special seminars on specific policy measures
Article 11
According to the suggestions of the members, the Alliance will irregularly hold seminars, at the sponsor’s expenses, inviting the relevant agencies of shipping industry.
Article 12
No membership fee will be collected and no direct economic relations exist. To carry out joint research, actively striving for funding from national and regional governments is required. The secretariat bears the expenses for the website, bulletin compilation and printing and other publicity expenses, as well as the everyday business of the secretariat. Expenses for meetings organized by the Alliance are borne by the host organization, but travel expenses are borne by the organization of the participants.