Ports are major energy consumers and sources of emissions. The energy mix of ports needs to transition towards more sustainable solutions. New business models and opportunities can support solutions for the green transition and decarbonization.
In addition, the digital transition triggers a new era of smart ports. New digital technologies enhance operational capacity by improving infrastructure, addressing environmental risks, anticipating changes and boosting competitiveness by enabling faster and more accurate decision-making.
Discussions at this event will address the future-proofing of ports; explore strategies for enhancing port resilience while adapting to evolving energy and digital landscapes; and address how solutions can account for local contexts, to increase resilience.
In line with the policy recommendations in Review of Maritime Transport 2024 on continued port development through decarbonization and digitalization, discussions will also address the challenges linked to the energy and digital transitions, particularly among countries in the Global South, share best practices and boost knowledge, for elaborating sustainable port strategies for the future.
Programme
Opening remarks: UNCTAD Secretary-General/Deputy Secretary-General
High-level panel and interactive discussion
Questions:
- What challenges do the energy and digital transitions create for ports in the Global South?
- Which investments should ports prioritize to successfully navigate the energy and digital transitions?
- What role should government policy and international frameworks play in supporting the efforts of ports to modernize and decarbonize? Are current regulations facilitating progress?
- What are best practices and lessons learned from ports that are more advanced in the energy and digital transitions?
Moderators: Lili Flour, Consultant, TrainForTrade, and Mark Assaf, Chief, Human Resources Development Section TrainForTrade
Mr. Pedro Manuel Moreno of Spain, is Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD.
He has over 20 years of experience of working for multilateral and intergovernmental organizations in programme, management and strategic positions both in the field and at headquarters.
He was Deputy Secretary-General of the Communication for Development Committee at the Spanish National Commission with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (1999-2004), and for the United Nations Development Programme, at the Country Office in Ecuador and, in New York City, as part of the Human Development Report team, at the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean and at the Executive Office.
In 2014, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Ibero-American Conference in Madrid, where he coordinated key political processes and South-South cooperation projects.
In September 2021, he was named Chief of Staff and Director of the Office of the Secretary-General of UNCTAD.
Mr. Bismark Rosales Rojas is the General Manager of Port Jennefer located on the Paraguay-Paranà waterway of Bolivia. He also provides instructor support to TrainForTrade’s Port Management Programme Spanish-speaking network assisting in teaching participants from Argentina, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic and Peru.
He has been a longstanding supporter of the UNCTAD/TrainForTrade Port Management Programme where he first began as a participant at the Training of Trainers workshops in Gijon and Valencia, Spain in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Mr. Rojas carries with him maritime experience thanks to his time with the Bolivian Navy where he was recognized with silver and gold emblems (2014-2017).
He holds a Master’s in Port Management Planning and Intermodality from the Puertos del Estado-Universidad of Càdiz Spain. In 2020 Mr. Rojas was awarded an honorary doctorate in human rights from the UN Global Compact for his work with “Port Development on the Bolivia-Brazil Border.”
Eng. Suliman bin Khalid Al-Mazroua is the President of the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani). He is a board member at the General Authority for Foreign Trade, the Saudi Export Development Authority, and the National Transport Safety Center. He also serves on the Board of the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, on the Board of Marafiq, and on the Board of Taibah Valley.
He previously served as CEO of the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program. With more than 22 years of experience, he has held senior leadership roles at Saudi Aramco, complemented by roles at United States-based technology firms Aruba Networks and Caspian Networks. He also served as Chief Technology Officer at Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare. In addition, he joined the Delivery and Rapid Intervention Center and contributed to the National Transformation Program. He has also served as an advisor to expert committees at the National Digital Transformation Center.
He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Hull (United Kingdom) and a Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (Saudi Arabia), and has completed executive programs at IMD, Rice University, and Harvard Kennedy School.
Mr. Mouhamadou Ngouda Mboup is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Autonomous Port of Dakar in Senegal. He is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Public Law at the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. He is also the Secretary General of the Circle of Public Administrators, a member of the Public Law Consulting and Litigation Firm AVEX Conseils and the Chairman of the High Regulatory Authority of the PASTEF-LES PATRIOTES Party.
From 2011 to 2024, he was the Chair of the Scientific Committee of the Tink Tank Afrikajom Center. Between 2016 and 2019, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Human Rights and Peace at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. Before, he was also a Temporary Teaching and Research Associate at the Faculty of Law and Management at the University of La Rochelle in France and a teacher-researcher at the Faculty of Legal Sciences at the University of Grenoble-Alpes in France.
He is a lawyer, expert, specialist in public law, public governance, public litigation, and public business law.
Dr. Nieves Roqueñí Gutiérrez is the President of the Port Authority of Gijón. With a distinguished career in academia and public administration, she combines expertise in sustainability, industrial policy, and port governance. She is also Professor of Engineering Projects at the University of Oviedo in Spain.
Prior to her appointment in 2025, she served as Regional Minister for Ecological Transition, Industry and Economic Development of Asturias, where she promoted major industrial investments and reinforced the region’s green transition. Earlier, as Vice-Minister for Environment and Climate Change, she led strategic climate policies and circular economy initiatives, and oversaw the Water Master Plans that guide sustainable water management in Asturias. At the University of Oviedo in Spain, she has held senior university management roles in research policy, innovation, and technology transfer, fostering collaboration between academia and industry. She has directed competitive research projects, supervised doctoral theses, and contributed to applied projects with companies and institutions.
She is a Mining Engineer and PhD from the University of Oviedo in Spain.
He is the Chief of the Human Resources Development Section - TrainForTrade at the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
With over 25 years of experience in international trade, he leads global programmes in port management, trade statistics, e-commerce and the digital economy. He is a strong advocate for digital innovation, capacity building, and SDG 17, and he champions sustainable, inclusive trade policies and international cooperation. He started his career in the United Nations as a Junior Professional Officer for Belgium in 1998 based in West Africa.
He holds a master’s in economics from the Free University of Brussels (Belgium).
Ms. Lili Flour is a consultant managing the TrainForTrade Port Management Programme as part of the Trade Logistics Branch at UNCTAD.
She is a maritime specialist with over a decade of experience working at sea aboard private and charter vessels before joining the UN in Geneva.
She holds a BSc in International Business from the College of Charleston, MA in International Relations from the Geneva School of Diplomacy and MBA from Anglia Ruskin University. She also holds IMO certification STCW and a UK Seaman’s Discharge Book.
