Welcome

Since our last Newsletter, the shipping world has seen a lot of activity. In the UK there have been changes in employment legislation. On an international scale the enforcement of the ISM Code for bulk carriers, tankers a passenger ships came into effect on July 1st. Do not miss the articles about these topics in this issue.

On February 3rd, a WISTA-UK Lecture Evening on the ISM CODE and SAFE PORTS was organised by our member Joanna Meadows, and kindly sponsored by her firm, city solicitors, Middleton Potts.

On a more informal note, March was a month full of shipping events and activities. The IMO celebrated International Women's Day the 1998 Lloyd's List Awards for Youth and Training took place in Greenwich. The London Shipping Law Centre hosted a Lecture on ISM by Lord Donaldson, and sponsored by SHELL & LLP Ltd and the International Committee convened in London for their Spring International Board Meeting.

We have delayed publishing this issue of the WISTA-UK Newsletter, as we wanted it to be special. We are presenting our new LOGO, to coincide with Conference'98 in New York, and the opening of the WISTA KIDS Painting & Drawing Event. This is a painting event in which we hope to involve all the WISTA-KIDS.

The Y2K Bug is upon us. August 19, 1998 signalled that there are ONLY 500 days remaining until January 1, 2000. Is your organisation prepared? Our team and board members have worked extremely hard in order to bring you all the news and events, and I would like to thank everybody who has contributed.

Maria Dixon
Editor