Port Authorities of the Americas Define Cooperation Priorities in Cartagena

Recognizing the vital role played by ports as part of the critical infrastructure to improve regional competitiveness, port authorities from OAS member states gathered at the VIII Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) from September 10 to 13 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.  

Sponsored by Colombia’s Superintendency of Ports and Transport and the OAS-SEDI, the VIII Meeting of the CIP was part of the Inter-American Forum on Ports, which was supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), among other sponsors, and featured speakers from ECLAC, UNCTAD and the OECD. Authorities and experts addressed relevant issues such as the potential impact posed by the expansion of the Panama Canal for the region, as well as port security and protection, intermodal and logistics networks, environmental protection and technology integration.  

Ports are the main entry and exit point for international trade and operate as central nodes in the global shipping network. Given that over 80% of global goods are transported by sea (UNCTAD, 2011) a modern and efficient port sector capable of responding to the demands of a globalized world plays a strategic role in improving the region’s competitiveness.  

Considering the sector’s impact on economic and social development, CIP is part of the efforts promoted by the OAS-SEDI. The Committee promotes port development through hemispheric dialogue and cooperation at the highest levels of government, with the active participation and collaboration of the private sector.  

An example of the ongoing horizontal cooperation promoted by the CIP is its Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) mechanism. TAGs are groups of countries and private sector partners with specific interests and expertise that provide technical advice to the Committee. Existing TAGs reflect current priority areas, such as the Logistics, Innovation and Competitiveness TAG, Chaired by Mexico, and the Port Protection and Security TAG, Chaired by The United States, among others.  

During the meeting, participating delegations from 18 member states adopted the Declaration of Cartagena and the Action Plan of Cartagena 2014-2015, documents that will guide the activities of the CIP during that period. The inclusion of the text proposed by Colombia on money laundering and terrorism in the port sector highlights an increasing concern for the region. In this regard, Juan Miguel Duran Prieto, Superintendent of Ports and Transport of Colombia noted: "We must seek greater transparency in the port sector in each country to identify possible cases of money laundering or financing of terrorism. We therefore propose Colombia’s land freight model to serve as guideline".  

For her part, the OAS-SEDI Executive Secretary, Sherry Tross, noted that "We consider incorporating river and lake ports as part of the work of the Committee a matter of the greatest importance in economic terms, as well as for security, environment and social inclusion". In addition, Jorge Duran, Chief of the CIP Secretariat affirmed that the documents adopted at the meeting "clearly mark CIP member countries’ priority areas for the next two years and this Secretariat will strive to serve its membership."  

Looking ahead, the OAS-SEDI, through the CIP, will continue facilitating productive policy dialogue, technical cooperation and training in the port sector, while realizing synergies with other areas of work in the organization such as Trade, Competitiveness, Tourism, Sustainable Development, Human Development and the Inter-American Committee on Terrorism (CICTE) in the area of port security.
 

The Inter-American Forum on Successful Experiences was also organized during the meeting with the support of the Colombian International Cooperation Agency (APC). The following six innovative solutions were showcased as experiences that have succeeded in promoting competitiveness and inclusion in the port sector:     -          Port Expansion Plan (Colombia );  -          Logistics Model of the Port of Valparaiso (Chile);  -          Development and Port Security (Haiti);  -          Quality Monitoring System (Mexico);  -          Inclusion of Women in Port Work (Peru), and  -          Biological Monitoring Project in four pilot ports (Venezuela).

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