Eleven managers from the port communities of Walvis Bay, Namibia, have earned the UNCTAD Modern Port Management Certificate.
The eleven candidates from the port communities in Walvis Bay, six of whom were women, successfully defended their final dissertations for the TrainForTrade Port Training Programme run by UNCTAD's Division on Technology and Logistics, on 11 and 12 June. This marked the completion of the programme in Namibia, as well as the completion of activities in Cycle 2 of the English-speaking port network.
Participants in the training programme need to complete all eight modules of the Modern Port Management course, which spans a period of between 18 months and two years. In addition, they are required to write a dissertation and to defend it in front of a panel of international experts. The goal of the dissertation is for port managers to construct a detailed and practical plan, which they can then put into practice in their respective ports. If successful, participants are awarded the UNCTAD Modern Port Management Certificate.
The research carried out by the participants from the Walvis Bay port communities includes: Port Access to Foreign-Flagged Fishing Vessels in Namibia; A Study Into the Impact of Equipment Availability on the Operational Efficiency in the Bulk & Breakbulk Terminal at the Port of Walvis Bay; An Investigation Into Whether the Port of Walvis Bay Infrastructure is Sufficient for the Influx of Motor Vehicles Industry; Container Terminal Efficiency: The Case of Walvis Bay Port, Namibia; and many more.
The final dissertation panel was made up of local and international port experts, including senior management of the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) and representatives from UNCTAD and the Port of Cork.
During the closing ceremony, Mr. Bisey Uirab, Chief Executive Officer of the Namibian Ports Authority, expressed his appreciation of the Port Training Programme, and urged the participants to "go forward" with their research by putting it into practice for the benefit of port community in Walvis Bay, as well as for the benefit of the country. Mr. Uirab also thanked UNCTAD for its work and reaffirmed the commitment of Namport to engage in the programme during its next phase.
UNCTAD's Port Training Programme supports port communities in developing countries in their efforts to provide efficient and competitive port management services. Effective port management increases trade flows and fosters economic development. UNCTAD research has shown that greater efficiency can be achieved if middle managers are trained in modern port-management methods.
The English-speaking network of the Port Training Programme is supported by Irish Aid, the Dublin Port Company, the Port of Cork, and the Belfast Harbour Commissioners. The programme operates via four language-based networks (English, French, Portuguese and Spanish), in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
and representatives from the Port of Cork and UNCTAD
