The anniversary brought together prominent personalities from the shipping and political spheres, highlighting the institution’s unwavering role in international maritime developments and its deep relationship with the Greek shipping community.
Attendees included Lords, Ambassadors, senior representatives of GSCC members, distinguished Greek shipowners, as well as senior representatives of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the P&I Clubs, the War Risk Insurance Clubs, the Ship Surveyors, the IACS, the Baltic Exchange, Intercargo, and Maritime London, among others.
The Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Vasilis Kikilias and the Chief of the Hellenic Navy Staff Vice Admiral Tryfon Kontizas were represented by Captain Antonios Doumanis, who delivered a greeting and presented the GSCC Chairman, Mr. Charalampos I. Fafalios, with the emblem of the Chief of the Hellenic Navy Staff as a token of appreciation and cooperation.
The President of the Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee of London, Mr. Charalampos Fafalios, in his speech, referred to the founding and the course charted by the Committee.
As Mr. Fafalios said, in fact, the Committee’s original name was “Greek Shipping Stabilisation Committee”. It was founded in 1935 with the aim of bringing some stability to freight markets after the economic depression.
Under the leadership of Periklis Drakoulis, with the capable assistance of Angelos Lousis, the Committee held its first meeting at the offices of G. Chatzilia. Subsequently, it became the main channel of communication between the Greek government and the UK Ministry of War Transport in 1941. It coordinated all matters concerning the Greek merchant fleet and its critical role in the warship convoy system, which ensured the supply of all essential goods to the United Kingdom and other allied countries.
During the early post-war years, when Greece was suffering from the consequences of a devastating civil war, the Committee was the one that dealt with most important shipping issues. One of its most distinguished members, Manolis Kulukundis, who was then based in New York, proposed and decisively contributed to the negotiations and completion of the famous program for the purchase of 100 Liberty ships, which gave the impetus for the rebirth of the Greek merchant fleet after the destruction it suffered during the Second World War. Subsequently, the establishment in 1957 of the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO), now (since 1982) called the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the founding of the Hellenic War Risk Association in 1960, the inception of the Posidonia Exhibitions in 1969 were some of the many events in which the G.S.C.C. participated and actively and enthusiastically supported.
As Mr. Fafalios said, all these years the Committee has worked closely with the Union of Greek Shipowners in Greece. The two associations have worked in harmony to address all the important shipping, environmental, and economic issues facing the Greek shipping industry. The G.S.C.C.’s location in London, one of the world’s leading maritime centers, has allowed it to cultivate very close relationships with all the organizations based here, including the Baltic Exchange, Lloyd’s of London, Lloyd’s Register, P & I Clubs, International Chamber of Shipping, Intercargo, Intertanko, I.M.O., not forgetting the most important chartering brokers, lawyers, bankers, and accounting firms.
The G.S.C.C.
he is also a steadfast supporter of the Greek flag, Greek crews, the Hellenic Coast Guard, and an educational environment in Greece that will continue to train new generations of Greeks who will serve both at sea and on land.
Because, as Mr. Fafalios stressed, without Greek seafarers, the miracle of Greek shipping would not be what it is today.
Regarding the challenges shipping faces today, whether national or international, they will always be faced with the dedication of our organization, in close cooperation with the Union of Greek Shipowners.
“While global shipping must react and be proactive towards global events, we believe there should be only one authority, the IMO, which should be the main regulator of our sector on a global basis and be responsible for shaping all international shipping legislation,” stressed Mr. Fafalios.
Regarding the most important issue of the current era, the problem of decarbonizing shipping, the solutions, Mr. Fafalios stressed, have not yet been found and we must create applicable ideas for the future with truly green fuels, as opposed to the incomplete options that do not work
The Net Zero framework, explained the President of the GSCC, is another example that requires the contribution of the shipping industry and is not determined solely by politicians. It is vital for IMO representatives to better understand shipping and create more effective and practical regulations.
