Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy – International Maritime Health Association (IMHA)

Effective date: 02/10/2025

 

1. Who we are

 

The International Maritime Health Association (IMHA) is an international non-profit association, registered in Belgium under Royal Decree of 14/07/1998, identification number: 22285/98.

 

IMHA is the data controller for the personal data you provide.

 

For any questions or concerns, you can contact us at:

Email: office@imha.net

Office address: Italiëlei 51, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium

Website: www.imha.net

 

We are subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and supervised by the Belgian Data Protection Authority.

 

2. What personal data we collect and why

 

Category	Examples	Purpose
Identification data	Full name, email address, country, institution, role	Membership administration, communication, elections
Application data	CV, motivation letter, relevant qualifications	Membership or board applications
Election-related data	Candidate bios, statements	Internal elections (every 2 year)
Membership directory	Name, email, affiliation, country (only with consent)	Displayed to other IMHA members via our secure website

 

We do not collect sensitive personal data (e.g. health data) unless voluntarily provided in a specific context (e.g. symposium registration).

 

3. Legal basis for processing

 

We process personal data based on:

• Legitimate interest – to manage the association’s membership and internal governance.
• Contractual necessity – to process membership applications and participation in activities
• Consent – for publishing your data in the members-only database on our website

 

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us at office@imha.net.

 

4. International Data Transfers

 

IMHA is an international organisation with members and board representatives located both within and outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

 

As part of our membership communication and governance activities (e.g. election procedures, working groups, symposiums), limited personal data (such as name, country, email, role) may be accessible to other members, including those based outside the EEA.

 

 

We ensure that:

 

• Any such data sharing is restricted to what is necessary for internal association purposes
• Access is limited to registered IMHA members, via a secure platform
• We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard your information

 

IMHA does not transfer personal data to external parties outside the EEA unless required by law or with your explicit consent.

 

5. Data sharing

 

We do not share your personal data with third parties unless:

 

• Required by law.
• You have given explicit consent
• It is necessary for the functioning of the association (e.g. internal communication)

 

The members-only directory is accessible exclusively to active IMHA members via secure login.

 

6. Data retention

 

• Membership records: kept as long as you are an active member, and for up to 2 years after ending membership
• Application/election documents: kept for up to 1 year after the relevant process concludes

• Directory data: visible only while you are an active member and have given consent

7. Your rights under the GDPR

 

You have the right to:

 

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate or outdated information
• Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Restrict or object to processing
• Withdraw consent at any time
• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

 

To exercise your rights, contact: office@imha.net.

 

8. Data security

 

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including secure access to the website and internal access restrictions.

 

9. Changes to this policy

 

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website.