NGO Pavilion
NON-PROFIT AT ANTWERPXL
Empowering Communities, Driving Change
Antwerp XL is proud to host a shared NGO Pavilion featuring Go Ocean, Whale Guardians, and Mercy Ships. Visitors can explore the pavilion to meet their teams, learn about their initiatives, and discover how they are making a difference for our oceans and communities.
These organisations will also lead specialised conferences throughout the event, offering insights into ocean conservation, maritime innovation, and humanitarian efforts. It’s a unique opportunity to engage with the people and projects driving meaningful change.
Join us at the NGO-pavilion and be inspired by the work of these extraordinary organisations.
WISTA
WISTA is an international networking organisation whose mission is to attract and support women, at the management level, in the maritime, trading and logistics sectors.
WISTAs Focus:
WISTAs Focus:
- Professional Development : Increasing competency, sharing best practices, information, contacts and experiences
- The Gender Gap : WISTA proudly supports the advancement of women in leadership roles
- Partnerships : WISTA is proud of its international partnerships and relationships
- Building Global Network : Creating global business relationships in the maritime, trading and logistics sectors
WHALE GUARDIANS
Whale Guardians™ is an international program for whale ship strike prevention dedicated to establishing Whale Guardians™ Certified Shipping in order to help the world’s great whales recover toward pre-whaling populations.
- Healthy Whales = Healthy Planet : Whales keep oceans thriving and help regulate the climate by storing carbon and boosting phytoplankton growth.
- The Problem : Hundreds of whales are unintentionally struck and killed by large ships each year, preventing some populations from recovering.
- The Solution : Whale Guardians maps shipping routes and whale sightings to identify high-risk areas, then provide tailored best practices to reduce ship strikes.
- What Whale Guardians™ Does : They make whale ship strikes visible, urgent, and solvable by creating co-occurrence maps, developing best practices, and partnering with the industry.
GO OCEAN
Go Ocean supports and accelerates the restoration of coastlines and marine ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity, carbon storage, and coastal livelihoods. The organisation works with local communities to restore vital habitats, promote ocean resilience against climate change, and protect marine wildlife. Its platform selects, supports, and monitors the most impactful projects, matching each member’s goals with tailored initiatives and helping scale successful nature-based solutions for the future.
MERCY SHIPS
Since 1978, Mercy Ships has been providing medical and surgical care to the poorest of the poor. With two large private hospital ships, they sail to countries where people have no access to affordable medical and surgical care.
Since February, the Africa Mercy has been docked in Madagascar. Surgeries are being carried out on the ship today. This mission will continue until December 2025. The Global Mercy is currently in Cádiz (Spain) for preventive maintenance. At the end of August, the ship will return to Sierra Leone, where a new 10-month mission will begin.
Since February, the Africa Mercy has been docked in Madagascar. Surgeries are being carried out on the ship today. This mission will continue until December 2025. The Global Mercy is currently in Cádiz (Spain) for preventive maintenance. At the end of August, the ship will return to Sierra Leone, where a new 10-month mission will begin.