History of FASA

The formation of an ASEAN shipping organisation was mooted by the ASEAN Permanent Committee on Shipping. In November 1975, 53 delegates from the five founder member countries of ASEAN gathered for its first meeting which was hosted by the Indonesian National Shipowners’ Association (INSA) in Jakarta. The ASEAN shipowners who attended the meeting were strongly motivated by a common desire for closer co-operation in order to increase the role of ASEAN shipping in the carriage of the region’s cargoes as well as contribute to the development of intra-ASEAN trade. They saw the important need to adopt a common stand on regional and international shipping matters and the development of international trade. The shipowners also wanted to achieve an equitable, adequate, efficient and economic carriage of goods and passengers in ASEAN.

The Federation of ASEAN Shipowners’ Associations (FASA) was therefore conceived with these objectives in mind. FASA was approved as an ASEAN Non-Governmental Organisation at the 5th Meeting of the 14th ASEAN Standing Committee that was held in Manila on 21 May 1981.

The FASA logo represents the unity of the national shipowners in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in their common pursuit of close co-operation and prosperity in shipping. The ten stalks of padi represent the dream of ASEAN’s Founding Fathers for an ASEAN comprising all the ten countries in South East Asia bound together in friendship and solidarity.  The anchor signifies that FASA will undertake maritime activities to promote international shipping to enhance or benefits its members. The blue outlining the anchor signifies FASA’s association with shipping and its firm commitment to the freedom of the sea, safety at sea and the protection of the marine environment.

FASA Logo

Objectives of FASA

The objectives of FASA are :

• To foster, develop and maintain close cooperation and coordination between and among the members on shipping policy and other relevant matters of mutual and/or collective interest;
• To extend assistance to any member, upon the latter’s request, consistent with its policies and capability;
• To formulate a common stand on ASEAN and international matters concerning FASA members, especially in creating a balance of rights and responsibilities between the developed and developing countries in maritime transport;
• To improve or assist in improving shipping services and conditions, particularly in the South East Asian region, in order to achieve equitable, adequate, efficient and economic carriage of goods and passengers to, from and among the member states, and promote the optimum growth of international trade;
• To represent the members in their collective dealing with the shippers’ councils, port authorities, government, international and other organisations.