The initiative brings together port instructors from the francophone network to exchange experiences and strengthen pedagogical skills The meeting reinforces the role of the Port of Las Palmas as a hub for technical cooperation between Europe and Africa
The Port Authority of Las Palmas is hosting, until 25 March, a new edition of UNCTAD’s international TrainForTrade Port Management Programme, a United Nations initiative aimed at improving efficiency, competitiveness and technical capacity within port communities in developing countries.
Over the course of the programme, the Port of Las Palmas is receiving nearly 20 participants linked to the francophone network, made up of port managers and instructors from several African countries, including Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, Mauritania, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia.
Beatriz Calzada, President of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, stressed that “hosting this international programme once again confirms the role of the Port of Las Palmas as a reference point for international port cooperation, knowledge transfer and the connection between Europe and Africa in such a strategic field as the maritime-port sector. Since 1996, this programme has trained more than 6,000 port managers from 80 countries, demonstrating the value of training as a tool to strengthen more prepared, competitive and sustainable port communities.”
The activity is structured around intensive pedagogical training workshops, in which 13 port instructors complete 40 hours of specialised training led by UNCTAD representatives. The sessions take place in a collaborative environment focused on exchanging experiences, strengthening methodologies and updating teaching tools applied to port management.
The programme includes eight training modules covering teacher preparation, definition of pedagogical objectives, digital learning platforms, presentation techniques, facilitation skills and participatory methodologies. Through presentations, group exercises, simulations and practical activities, participants refine their skills as trainers within their respective port communities.
The Port of Las Palmas thus reaffirms its position as the venue for a high-value international initiative promoted by the United Nations, aligned with its role as an Atlantic logistics hub and a tricontinental meeting point. The operational scale of the participating ports further highlights the relevance of this network, as together they handle more than 87 million tonnes of port traffic and over 3.1 million TEU annually. This year’s edition in Las Palmas corresponds to the coaching workshop of the programme’s francophone network, currently active in ten member countries.
International Training to Strengthen Port Management
The TrainForTrade programme, created in 1996 by UNCTAD, aims to strengthen port management in developing countries through cooperation networks involving public, private and international institutions. It currently operates in 28 member countries and has already trained more than 6,000 port managers from 80 countries—including 22 least developed countries—through three active linguistic networks in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
The programme’s methodology combines technical training, pedagogical development and cooperation between ports, enabling senior port officials trained as instructors to replicate the knowledge in their respective countries through national training programmes. The model also includes peer reviews among member ports, fostering the exchange of experiences and strengthening South-South cooperation within participating port communities.
In this regard, Beatriz Calzada stated: “The Port of Las Palmas maintains a very clear international vocation, and this type of meeting reinforces our role as a platform for technical cooperation, specialised training and the creation of strategic alliances in the maritime sector.”
