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UNCTAD begins second cycle of Port Training Programme in Djibouti

18 February 2013

Twenty-six port officials in Djibouti, including eight women, have started a twelve-month programme to learn modern port-management techniques.

This second cycle of the UNCTAD TrainForTrade Port Training Programme began on 9 February.

Those who complete the instruction will earn the UNCTAD Modern Port Management Certificate.

The first training cycle, held from 2010 to 2012, resulted in the certification of 15 middle managers from the country's main port. This success convinced the Port of Djibouti to continue the programme.

Gonzalo Ayala, one of the programme coordinators, was sent by UNCTAD to help with the delivery of Module 1 of the new training cycle. He taught alongside senior managers from the port community who had been trained previously by UNCTAD to serve as local instructors.

To graduate, candidates must complete eight modules, for a total of 240 hours of in-class instruction. The modules cover all relevant aspects of managing a modern port. Students also must write and defend a dissertation before a panel of international port experts.

Located at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, the Port of Djibouti provides a secure regional hub for the transshipment and relay of goods. Since 1998, the port has handled 100 per cent of Ethiopia's maritime traffic. It is ideally located to serve the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which has 19 member countries and a combined population of 380 million.

UNCTAD's Port Training Programme is run through the Human Resources Development Section of the TrainForTrade programme. It is now offered in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. Since its inception in 1996, the programme has certified over 850 middle managers in port communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In addition, over 500 senior port managers have been trained as local instructors.

Port Training Programme in Djibouti
Port officials in Djibouti embark on a twelve-month programme to qualify for the UNCTAD Modern Port Management Certificate