Enabling ports' energy transition from roadmaps to implementation
Volatility in energy trade, prices and supply routes is increasing risks and costs for ports and supply chains. Energy efficiency, renewables, electrification, storage and resilient power systems are therefore important for decarbonization, energy security and operational continuity.
UNCTAD addressed these challenges through its Sustainable Smart Ports project in Ghana, Mauritius and Morocco. Aligned with the Global Supply Chain Forum 2026 theme, “Towards resilient, sustainable and inclusive supply chains and trade logistics in times of uncertainty”, this round table will connect beneficiary, peer-port and terminal-operator experience. It will identify the governance, stakeholder coordination, infrastructure, financing and operational arrangements needed to move from roadmaps to implementation.
Mr. Mohamed El Zarkani serves as the UN Representative to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the highest-ranking UN official of the UN development system in Saudi Arabia. In his current role, Mr. Elzarkani leads the UN s strategic engagement with the Government of Saudi Arabia, the private sector, academia, and non-profit sector to advance the Sustainable Development Goals in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. He also coordinates the work of 28 UN agencies, funds and programs in Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Elzarkani has more than 18 years of experience in sustainable development, local economic development, international cooperation, research and innovation, labour market reforms, and migration environment and climate change, migration and development, human mobility management, policy development, and the coordination of operational activities for development by the UN system.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Elzarkani held senior roles in various countries in the region. He served as the UN Representative (interim) in the Kingdom of Bahrain from November 2020 until April 2022 and as the Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), where he was responsible for providing technical assistance to the Government of Bahrain. He technical cooperation programmes with the Human Rights Commission in Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization in the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Elzarkani also worked with the IOM in Egypt and Kuwait as the head of community stabilization and human development and labour mobility programmes. In addition, Mr. Elzarkani worked with UNDP in Egypt as the national coordinator of a Local Economic Development Programme.
Prior to working in the UN system, he worked with Nahdet El Mahrousa, an Egyptian nongovernmental organization focusing on promoting a culture of research and development for Egyptian youth.
Mr. Mohamed El Zarkani is a national of Egypt and holds Relations from Webster University in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He is fluent in English and Arabic. Mohamed is married and has two children.
Kailash Dhunnoo is currently serving as Senior Manager [Technical Services] at the Mauritius Ports Authority. With a keen focus on the energy transition and sustainable development of ports, Mr. Dhunnoo has been instrumental in driving initiatives towards greening ports in Mauritius, more specifically from a Small Island Developing States perspective.
Mr. Dhunnoo’s commitment to environmental sustainability has resulted in significant and tangible contributions to the Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA) and his active role in shaping the future of Port Louis Harbour towards becoming a Greenport.
Kailash Dhunnoo continues to advocate for innovative solutions that align with global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote more sustainable practices in the port sector. He actively participates in the Technical Committees of the IAPH and also shares the experience of Mauritius on clean energy transition in ports & Green Port Initiatives in forums like the Blue Ports Initiative of the Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the IMO CARES. He is currently spearheading UNCTAD Project on Sustainable Smart Port at Port Louis, including discussions on strategies and challenges for potential replication of the energy transition roadmap for ports in Africa and the Indian Ocean SIDS.
Mr. Dhunnoo holds a Degree of Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay), a Graduate Diploma in Maritime Management from the National University of Singapore and a MSc in Port Management & Shipping Administration from the University of Mauritius.
Margaret Aidoo Quarcoopome is a maritime and port management professional with over 12 years of experience in corporate planning, strategic management and port development. She has built her career with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, where she has progressed through various roles within the Corporate Planning Department to her current position as Deputy Corporate Planning Manager. Her areas of responsibility and expertise include strategic planning, corporate performance management, benchmarking, tariff management, research, knowledge sharing and the adoption of international best practices across the Authority.
She has served in various capacities in GPHA’s sustainability and organisational development initiatives, contributing to various committees, strategic programmes and professional fora. She is passionate about environmental stewardship, organisational culture, continuous improvement and people development.
Margaret holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from studies in Ghana, as well as a Master of Science in Maritime Affairs from the World Maritime University. Her professional engagement with UN trade and Development (UNCTAD) spans several years and includes participation in the UNCTAD TrainForTrade Port Management Series in Ghana, contribution to an official UNCTAD publication through the development of a port management case study and participation as a speaker at the Port Management Week 2022. She also serves on the UNCTAD Local Steering Committee and is a certified instructor and facilitator for the UNCTAD TrainForTrade Port Management program. She is also a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
Jan joined the World Bank Transport Global Department in January 2025, as Global Lead Maritime Transport and Ports. Responsibilities include the Container Port Performance Index, the Port Reform Toolkit, and support to World Bank in-country port and shipping projects.
From 2003 to 2024, Jan worked for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), since 2016 as Head of the Organization’s Trade Logistics Branch. He developed and led technical assistance programs in trade and transport facilitation, co-authored and coordinated the Review of Maritime Transport, and initiated the Maritime Country Profiles, the International Transport Costs Data Set, and the Liner Shipping Connectivity Index.
Previously, Jan spent six years with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago de Chile, and two years with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London and Santiago. Prior to this, he held part time positions as assistant professor, import-export agent, seafarer, translator, and consultant.
For eight years, he worked part time for the family tramp shipping business Hoffmann Shipping, based in Horneburg, Germany, with a tweendecker registered in St. Johns, Antigua and Barbuda.
Jan has studied in Germany, United Kingdom, and Spain, and holds a doctorate degree in Economics from the University of Hamburg. He is member of the boards of various journals and professional associations, and from 2014 to 2018 was president of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME). Dr Hoffmann has been to more than 140 countries and had his hair cut in 95. He has three sons and one wife.
Frida Youssef has over 25 years of professional experience in trade, logistics, commodities, finance and sustainable development. Throughout her career, she has developed, led and managed research and technical assistance programmes supporting developing countries across a broad range of areas, including commodity supply chains and structured finance, public-private partnerships (PPPs), maritime transport and ports, trade, transit and transport corridors, as well as cross-cutting issues such as environmental sustainability, climate change, gender, resilience, finance and investment.
She is a co-author of UNCTAD’s annual Review of Maritime Transport and serves on the Steering Committee of the Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID), as well as the Steering Committee of the Port Chapter of the World Association of PPP Units and Professionals (WAPPP).
Frida holds an MBA from Boston University and an MA in International Affairs from the Hautes Études Internationales in Paris.
