IMIF - STRUCTURE  

Although without a formal constitution, IMIF has evolved a 'Charter' broadly guiding its activities:

THE IMIF 'CHARTER'

IMIF's CHALLENGES

IMIF is an important forum for gathering informed views from responsible sources within the shipping Industry.

The information is used to ensure that these sources and any other interested parties are made aware of the strategic issues affecting the Industry.

The objective is to ensure that participants in the Industry work in a responsible way to ensure that dramatic 'swings' in the Industry are avoided.

The key issue is responsibility of actions of participants who must be encouraged to realise that long term stability in the industry is as important an issue as their own short term profits.

MODUS OPERANDI

The key elements in IMIF's work are:

• To gather information and distil and disseminate it.

• To inform the major participants in international shipping of the contents of this distilled information. The key participants include:
  Shipowners
  Shipbrokers
  Cargo owners
  Banks and other Financial Institutions
  Classification Societies/Insurers
  Shipbuilders

• To remind Governments, shipowners, shipbuilders and fmancial institutions of their responsibility in developing and maintaining a sound industry.

STRUCTURE OF IMIF

The controlling body for the receipt and dissemination of the information is a Steering Committee to refine views gathered into policy statements for dissemination by way of newsletters, press releases, talks at conferences etc. The Steering Committee includes delegates from each industry mentioned above with a view to obtaining a broad spectrum of informed views from people who have regular contact with other parts of the industry (i.e. building up a matrix of information).

Under the Steering Committee are ad hoc sub-committees on an industry basis which can meet regularly or as required.

Membership of IMIF is made up of members drawn from any interested parties (not restricted to the industries mentioned above) and members will be given the opportunity to participate in Industry sub-committees and certainly to attend the annual IMIF Forum.

INFORMATION GATHERING

Information is fed through to the Steering Committee for their quarterly meetings but more often as the need arises from:

Reports by committee members from their subcommittee meetings.

Submission from IMIF members of reports following contacts with other Industry participants.

The committee will also visit key strategic areas (principally the Far East at the moment) to spread the message and hear at first-hand the views of the owners, yards, governments, shipbrokers, international organisations etc in different parts of the world.

SUMMARY

IMIF accepts that absolute stability will never be achieved in the industry and that there will always be the need to 'educate'. Indeed a number of participants thrive in difficult times and look forward to each downturn.

The keys to IMIF retaining its credibility are:

- Impartiality

- Topicality

- Information sources throughout the Industries

- Information sources throughout the World