Past and future of maritime transport examined by special publication marking 50 years of UNCTAD work on shipping

​The major events that have marked the past of maritime transport – and issues that are likely to forge its future – are examined in a special publication released today, marking 50 years since UNCTAD first published its longest standing annual report, the Review of Maritime Transport. It follows the launch of the 50th-anniversary edition of the Review of Maritime Transport in October.

The new commemorative publication offers a forward-looking assessment of issues likely to shape shipping in the future and explores fresh directions in research and analysis, as well as examining the history of the Review of Maritime Transport over the past 50 years. It comprises reflections by seven eminent guest essayists, chosen for their expertise and roles in the maritime transport industry:

• Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization
• Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President of the World Maritime University
• Serigne Thiam Diop, former Secretary General of the Union of African Shippers Councils
• Peter Hinchliffe, former Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping
• Martin Stopford, President of Clarkson Research Services Limited
• Patrick Verhoeven, Managing Director of the International Association of Ports and Harbors
• Chris Welsh, former Secretary-General of the Global Shippers’ Forum

The new publication recognizes the unprecedented contribution by the Review of Maritime Transport to the study of the strategic importance of maritime transport for trade and development.

“To understand the success of the Review of Maritime Transport is also to understand its role in helping better understand the maritime transport sector and support informed national policies and legislation, as well as international deliberations,” Shamika N. Sirimanne, Director of UNCTAD’s Division on Trade and Technology, said.

In addition to core issues covered by the Review of Maritime Transport since 1968, including demand and supply, ports and freight markets, and legal and regulatory developments affecting transport and trade, the commemorative report considers several emerging themes.

These include consolidation in liner shipping, alliance formation, maritime transport costs, connectivity, green shipping, ports and environmental sustainability, digital innovations, climate change mitigation and resilience.

The special publication concludes that by monitoring the present in the context of the past, and by identifying new topics, the Review of Maritime Transport will be well placed to maintain its position as an invaluable source of information and guidance on maritime transport for years to come.