IACP, A GLOBAL NETWORK FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF PORT CITIES

Activités portuaires Friday 19 January 2024

Founded in 1988 in Le Havre (France), where it is headquartered, the International Association of Cities and Ports (IACP) was born out of an exchange of experiences on the transformation of the city-port interface. Today, it is a global reference organisation supporting joint city-port strategies for sustainable development throughout the world.

The association covers 49 countries on all continents. It has more than 210 members, including local authorities, ports, architects, planners, companies and academics involved in the development of cities and ports or studying their various economic, social or spatial aspects.

The Abidjan Port Authority (PAA) is a member of the IACP. The proximity of the city of Abidjan to the port justifies this membership, which gives the port authority the opportunity to learn from the best practices and experiences of other ports in order to respond to the issues raised by the major infrastructure development projects underway since 2012. 

The aim of the IACP is to improve the relationship between cities and ports by establishing and developing dialogue and cooperation for more sustainable, responsible and innovative urban, port and economic development.

In order to achieve this mission, the IACP acts on levers such as cooperation between port authorities and local communities, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and best practices for the sustainable development of port areas, raising awareness of issues related to the city-port interface, integrated urban planning and the consideration of economic, social and environmental dimensions in port development.

The IACP sees itself as a catalyst for the emergence of innovative and sustainable city-port projects. In its agenda for the sustainable development of port cities, it organises dialogue, generates exchanges and proposes solutions for

- a renewed maritime or river environment;

- economic performance based on the blue economy;

- a dialogue with the general public to mobilise people around the port and its missions;

- responses to the global challenges of climate change and biodiversity.

As a partner in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030, the IACP defends the need for dialogue between those involved in port city projects through the values of sharing, solidarity, sustainable development, innovation, public interest and citizen relations.

For its day-to-day operations, the IACP is structured around a Board of Directors, a General Assembly and a General Management Team. Its members are divided into three colleges: local authorities, port authorities and professionals. Its official working languages are English, French and Spanish.