Marking its first anniversary, the World Ports Sustainability Program will take an important next step forward on 19-20 March. A meeting hosted by UNCTAD in Geneva is expected to define potential port authority actions per UN Sustainable Development Goal, measurement performance indicators, as well as guiding tools and methodologies for use in practice.
As we reach the first anniversary since the Program began, we have now achieved critical mass with the 60+ clearly defined projects that have joined the WPSP to formulate industry-standard practices in terms of ports integrating UN SDGs into their business strategies and governance,
…commented IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven.
The interactive WPSP-IAPH expert workshop is being organised in partnership with the Trade and Logistics Branch of UNCTAD, the Antwerp Management School and the University of Antwerp.
Representatives from UN Global Compact, Mediterranean Shipping Company and BNP Paribas Fortis bank will set the scene from their perspective.
They will then work with delegates from IAPH’s port members worldwide to define which of the 17 UN Sustainable Development goals to apply to the five WPSP themes and identify indicators to measure the sustainability performance of port authorities in these areas.
What we aim to come up with at the Geneva workshop will form the basis for integrating these UN Sustainable Development Goals in a meaningful, measurable way that is relevant to all world ports, irrespective of size, location and any geopolitical factors. We will ambitiously aim for true governance, which can be flexible and measurable in terms of impact,
…said WPSP Technical Director Dr. Antonis Michail, speaking in a conference in early February.
