THE WORLD'S PORTS AND HARBOURS MEET IN LIBREVILLE

Activités portuaires Tuesday 02 July 2024

The joint conference of the Pan-African Association for Port Cooperation (APCP) and the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) was held on 11 and 12 April 2024 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Libreville, in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary celebrations of the Office des Ports et Rades du Gabon (OPRAG). The opening ceremony of the meeting took place on 11 April 2024, in the presence of senior Gabonese authorities, in particular the Prime Minister of the transition, Mr. Raymond NDONG SIMA.

The Abidjan Port Authority (PAA), represented by Mr. Tahirou DIARRASSOUBA, Secretary General of the Abidjan Port Community, and Dr Titi PALÉ, Commercial, Marketing and Communications Director, took part in that important meeting to contribute to the discussions on strategies aimed at strengthening the competitiveness and attractiveness of African port areas.

The theme of the conference was, “The road to resilient and intelligent African ports: what prospects?” Through that theme, the participants intended to lay the foundations for intensive cooperation, through the sharing of experiences, with a view to the emergence of future resilient ports, capable of meeting the major technological, security, environmental and climatic challenges.

“The challenges we face today, whether in terms of attractiveness, competitiveness, maritime safety or environmental protection, transcend national borders. They therefore require a closer collective and concerted approach. This is why we need to redouble our efforts to strengthen sub-regional cooperation,” stated OPRAG's Managing Director, Martin BOGUIKOUMA, in his capacity as Executive Chairman of the APCP.

For his part, Prime Minister Raymond NDONG SIMA, who welcomed the presence in Libreville of the cream of the world's port and maritime stakeholders, recommended that all the participants capitalise fully on the resources and recommendations of these meetings to identify ambitious prospects for the benefit of African economies. He added: “Together, we have the power to shape a maritime and port future that is more promising, more prosperous, more secure and more sustainable for all.”

The first day of work was marked by contributions from representatives of associations, administrations and port authorities from Africa and the African Union (AU) Commission.

The day of 12 April was marked by a number of speeches, including that of the Secretary General of the Abidjan Port Community, Mr. Tahirou DIARRASSOUBA, representing the Managing Director of the PAA. His speech focused on the topic of “Global challenges and the path towards intelligent and resilient African ports.”