Introduction: ICMA invites its members to the 2026 Northern Europe Regional Meeting in Helsinki, Finland from 23-25 September 2026. This meeting will gather members and partners from across the region. The seminar focus will be on key trends and challenges in seafarers’ welfare of common interest to our members. The meeting will take place at Helsinki with opportunities also to visit with maritime partners in the area.

Meeting hosts and sponsors: Thank you to the Merimieskirkko (Finnish Seamen’s Mission) for hosting us.

Invitation: ICMA’s Northern Europe region includes chaplains, ship visitors, and staff from ICMA members in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany’s Baltic Sea Coast, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Norway and Iceland. Other members or partners are welcome, if places remain.

Accommodation: Hotel Rantapuisto, Furuborginkatu 3, 00980 Helsinki, Finland https://www.rantapuisto.fi/

Meeting room: Vuosaari Gatehouse 2nd floor, meeting room, Komentosilta 1, 00980 Helsinki https://gatehouse.fi/ (Note: the meeting room is a 2 minute walk across the street from the Vuosaari Seafarers’ Centre of the Finnish Seamen’s Church)

Registration Open: Click Here to Register.

Thanks to the support of our generous sponsors, ICMA members from the region are able to receive two nights of hotel accommodation, full programme registration, and meals at no cost. (Additional nights in hotel we can book, but at a cost of €119.) Places are limited, so register soon. Priority registration is available for participants from the ICMA Northern Europe region. Guests from outside ICMA or from other regions may also be welcome, but are asked to contact us at gensec@icma.as before attempting to register.

Schedule (Developing):

  • Tuesday 22:
    • [Arrivals – if necessary]
  • Wednesday 23:
    • [Arrivals]
    • 11h00 – Transfer from hotel to Vuosaari Gatehouse meeting room – Vuosaari, Helsinki
    • 11h30 – Start of Meeting (Gatehouse, 2nd floor)
    • 11h30 – Lunch (Gatehouse, 2nd floor)
    • 12h30 – Welcome and Session 1 (Gatehouse, 2nd floor)
      • Welcome and Introduction
        • Dr. Jason Zuidema, ICMA, General Secretary
        • Sanna Rasi, Merimieskirkko / ICMA regional coordinator
        • Hannu Suihkonen, Secretary-General, Finnish Seamen’s Church
      • Speaker
        • Sanna Sonninen, Director of Maritime, Traficom, “The Shadow Fleet, Geopolitics, and the Safety of Seafarers in the Baltic Sea Region”
    • 14h00 – Coffee break (Gatehouse, 13th floor) (view of Port Vuosaari)
    • 14h30 – Session 2 (Gatehouse, 2nd floor)
      • Welcome and Introduction
        • Jaakko Laasio, Director of Maritime Affairs, Liaison Manager, Finnish Seamen’s Church
      • Speakers
        • Petteri Salli, Maritime Safety Expert, Lieutenant Commander, The Finnish Border Guard (Rajavartiolaitos), “Protecting seafarers’ safety and peace in the Baltic Sea Region”
        • Jessica Troberg, Human Resources Manager, Meriaura, “Safety of crew: Preparing for disruption and danger”
    • 16h00 – walking (5 mins – 160m) – crossing street from Gatehouse meeting room
    • 16h10 – Tour of Vuosaari Seafarers’ Centre – Finnish Seamen’s Church (Provianttikatu 4, 00980, Helsinki)
    • 16h30 – Transfer to hotel
    • 18h00 – Dinner in hotel
    • 19h30 – Sauna
  • Thursday 24:
    • Breakfast in hotel
    • 8h30 – Transfer from hotel to Gatehouse meeting room – Vuosaari, Helsinki
    • 9h00 – Session 3 (Gatehouse, 2nd floor) – “Workshop-Discussion: Seafarers missions in times of conflict and distress”
      • Moderator: Pastor Matthias Ristau (Deutsche Seemannsmission)
      • Rev. JP Mokgethi-Heath, Malmö Seafarers’ Chaplaincy
      • Discussion
    • 9h50 – Coffee break (Gatehouse, 2nd floor)
    • 10h00 – Session 4 (Gatehouse, 2nd floor) – “Workshop-Discussion: Seafarers missions in times of conflict and distress”
      • Moderator: Pastor Matthias Ristau (Deutsche Seemannsmission)
      • Rev. Frank Skofteland (or colleague), Sjømannskirken – Norwegian Church Abroad
      • Discussion
    • 11h00 – Lunch (Gatehouse, 2nd floor)
    • 11h30 – Off-site excursion to central Helsinki
      • 11h30 – Transfer to central Helsinki
      • 12h00 – Visit to Katajanokka – tour of Finnish Ice Breakers
      • 13h30 – Session 5 – Seamen’s Pension Fund
        • Speaker – Marina Paulaharju, CCO
      • 14h30 – coffee break
      • 15h30 – Session 6 – Finnish Seamen’s Service
        • Speaker – Inka Kanerva, CEO
      • 17h00 – Evening Prayer – Temppeliaukio Church
        • Homily: Bishop Bo-Göran Åstrand, The Diocese of Borgå
        • (Thank you to Bishop Teemu Laajasalo and Töölö Church/Parish for graciously offering us free use of the church for our prayer. Temppeliaukion kirkko, or the Rock Church, is a famous Lutheran church in Helsinki, Finland, renowned for being excavated directly into solid rock.)
    • 18h30 – Transfer to hotel
    • 19h30 – Dinner in hotel
  • Friday 25:
    • Breakfast in hotel (check out)
    • 8h30 – Transfer from hotel to Gatehouse meeting room – Vuosaari, Helsinki
    • 9h00 – Session 5 (Gatehouse, 2nd floor) –
      • Dr. Jason Zuidema (ICMA) – “Deaths at Sea: Statistics and Support”
      • Dr. Khanssa Lagdami (World Maritime University, Malmö, Sweden) – “Seafarers’ Abandonment: Scope, Root Causes, and Practical Response”
    • 10h30 – Coffee break (Gatehouse, 2nd floor)
    • 10h45 – Session 6 (Gatehouse, 2nd floor)
      • Conference conclusions and Discussion
    • 11h45 – Closing Prayer
    • 12h00 – Lunch (Gatehouse, 2nd floor)
    • 12h30 – End of Meeting
    • [Departures]

Thank you to our partners and sponsors: ITF Seafarers’ Trust, TK Foundation, Suomen Merimieskirkko, Finnlines (Gatehouse), Seamen’s Pension Fund, Bishop Teemu Laajasalo and the Töölö Church/Parish

For more information: gensec@icma.as