New Year Message from ICHCA’s Chair 2025

Together in Cargo Handling and Safety: Looking Ahead to 2025

“Collaboration and communication with professional peers are more essential than ever. Sharing industry expertise allows us to learn, innovate, and drive meaningful improvement. ICHCA remains the organisation dedicated to maximising these opportunities in cargo handling and coordination safety.
The most successful operators understand that sustainable businesses are built on a foundation of health and safety, alongside efficiency, customer service, innovation, and technology. Success depends on deploying the right people with the right skills at the right time and place. These elements are interconnected, their synergy is key to growth and resilience.
Safety is a shared responsibility. There is no competition when it comes to safeguarding people in the workplace. Safer, more secure working environments are achieved through collective learning – sharing our successes, challenges, and even failures to tackle the evolving issues we face together.
Through ICHCA, you are part of a truly global community. Here, you can seek assistance, share best practice, and collaborate to solve problems. Your voice resonates at influential bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the United Nations, where we advocate for strategies that improve safety on ports and terminals, at sea, and at the critical interface where ships meet shore. As a recognised NGO at the IMO, ICHCA’s influence continues to grow, expanding our impact as we share knowledge and create meaningful change.
Everything we accomplished in 2024 was made possible by your commitment to continuous improvement. Together, we exemplify the best of our industry, combining expertise and teamwork across the supply chain to keep the world moving. In 2025, we renew our dedication to supporting those on the front lines of cargo handling and coordination – the people whose skills and hard work are essential to global lives and economies. We recognise your efforts and pledge to continue offering thought leadership, constructive support, and the tools to help you do the job safely and effectively.
ICHCA International reaffirms its commitment to listening to your needs, championing innovation, driving continuous improvement, and representing your voice on the global stage. Together, we will raise industry standards and achieve ambitious new goals. We are proud of what we’ve accomplished and excited for what lies ahead in 2025.
Let’s continue to work together to create an ever safer, more efficient, and more sustainable future.”

John Beckett
Chair
ICHCA International