During its London meeting last week, the IAPH Council discussed proposals of the Board to refocus the strategy of IAPH. Based on the priorities the IAPH President set out at the Annual General Meeting in Guangzhou last May and considering the diverse membership of the organisation, a two-pronged strategy was put forward. On the one hand, IAPH is to focus its leadership role on a limited set of truly global issues that are rapidly transforming the sector such as energy transition, automation and digital trade facilitation, topics which are also on the agenda of global regulators such as the IMO. On the other hand, IAPH is to develop the business case for a broad assistance package to facilitate the sustainable development of ports worldwide, under the auspices of the World Ports Sustainability Program. This dual approach will guide the planned re-allocation of the current IAPH resources, which the Secretary General and Managing Director are preparing this autumn, and which will lead to both a new multi-annual budget and a new organisation chart. The refocused strategy should make the value-added of IAPH clearer to present and potential members. Topping the process is a rebranding exercise, which is to ensure that the new content focus of the organisation is translated in a modern and professional brand. These changes form the final chapter of the reform process that started in 2016 with the adoption of the new constitution. They are expected to be finalised early 2020, in time for the March World Ports Conference.
