ISWAN at the IMO: Bringing seafarers’ lived experience into global policy
28 April 2026
4 min read
Since achieving consultative status, ISWAN has been actively engaging at the IMO to amplify seafarers’ voices in global decision‑making.
Our Social Interaction Matters (SIM) project aims to identify methods to help shipping and ship management companies improve social interaction on board and in port.
Sponsored by the Maritime Coastguard Agency and Red Ensign Group, ISWAN’s Social Interaction Matters (SIM) project, began January 2020 and aims to identify methods to help shipping and ship management companies improve social interaction on board and in port.
Social interaction is beneficial for physical and mental wellbeing and particularly important for seafarers, who can be away from their home and family for many months. The current COVID-19 pandemic emphasises the necessity for crews to interact together as they find themselves increasingly isolated on board. The SIM project seeks the opinions of ALL those in the maritime industry to help improve crew cohesion and overcome barriers to socialising on board which can greatly contribute to social isolation and loneliness.
Please complete our short (5-minute) anonymous survey which can be accessed here:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Social-interaction-matters
We urge you to please take part in this survey and share the link with your respective networks.
For further details visit www.seafarerswelfare.org/our-work/social-interaction-matterscontact Caitlin Vaughan if you have any questions.
THANK YOU
28 April 2026
4 min read
Since achieving consultative status, ISWAN has been actively engaging at the IMO to amplify seafarers’ voices in global decision‑making.
15 April 2026
3 min read
We spoke to Sophia Grant, the Programme Director for Crew Health, about why crew welfare is important to the UK P&I Club.
13 April 2026
6 min read
Ahead of the publication of ISWAN’s 2025 data from our helpline YachtCrewHelp, we asked experts across the yachting industry to share their thoughts on the trends seen in the previous year.
