The port of Djibouti joins UNCTAD´s port training programme

Djibouti, 23 October 2009 - By joining the Port Training Programme of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, port managers of the Autonomous Port of Djibouti will be better equipped to meet the current challenges facing the shipping industry. These concern mainly new standards on safety and environmental management, radical transformation of information and cargo-handling systems, new business practices, privatization, and the restructuring of navigation services.

These numerous changes require highly skilled personnel. Thanks to the UNCTAD Port Training Programme, Djiboutian executives will be able to strengthen their economic, commercial, administrative, legal, and technical expertise and to obtain certificates in modern port management upon completion of the course.

The training programme will be launched on 25 October 2009 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. by Geneviève Féraud, Chief of the New Technologies, Training and Capacity-Building Branch of UNCTAD, and by Aden Ahmed Doualeh, Chairman of Djibouti Ports and Free Zone Authority. The ceremony will take place in the conference room of the Sheraton Hotel in Djibouti.

Located at the intersection of three continents and close to one of the busiest maritime routes in the world, the Port of Djibouti has responded to the imperatives imposed by the globalization of maritime transport and has emerged as a vital platform for trade in the region. In recent years, shipping has experienced a rapid rise, which shows that the port facilities (including the new container terminal Doraleh) are well-run by pragmatic managers who are fully familiar with international standards. In addition, the Djibouti port is certified ISO 28000, which consolidates its leadership among regional competitors and places it at the same level with the largest international ports.

TrainForTrade´s Port Training Program is part of UNCTAD´s strategy for modernizing the operation of ports in developing countries. Training is vital for developing skills, taking into account local circumstances, because efficient port facilities play a key role in terms of volume and trade, and thereby in the opportunities for economic development available to developing countries.

The Port of Djibouti will now be affiliated with the UNCTAD network, which has operated for over ten years and includes the ports and port communities of Conakry, Cotonou, Dakar, Douala, and Lomé. The Port of Djibouti will also be integrated in all activities of the network at the sub-regional (pedagogical seminars, tripartite meetings) and local levels.

A "Training of Technical Tutors Workshop for Distance Learning" will also be organized from 25 to 28 October 2009. It will be followed by the official launch of the first cycle of the UNCTAD Modern Port Management Certificate Programme. Twenty senior managers will be participating in this training cycle that will begin in January 2010 and will run for two years.