Held 9-11 November 2027, the world’s premier global conference for ports and port businesses will be hosted in South America for the first time in its 75-year history

​The International Association of Ports & Harbors (IAPH) is delighted to announce that the 2027 edition of the World Ports Conference (#IAPH2027) – the world’s leading international conference for ports and the maritime supply chain – will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 9-11 November.

With the support of host sponsor and IAPH member Porto Do Açu, the conference will be held in South America for the first time in its venerable 75-year history. #IAPH2027 will convene senior port professionals from across the world in Rio – a vibrant global city framed by a lush natural landscape – for three days of high-level dialogue across the maritime supply chain, from shipowners and cargo owners, to regulators and providers of state-of-the-art technology.

IAPH managing director Patrick Verhoeven commented: “We are delighted to bring the World Ports Conference to Rio de Janeiro and to South America for the first time. This reflects the increasing importance of both the region’s thriving port sector and the sustained leadership role played by our host sponsor, Porto Do Açu, in advancing the causes of decarbonisation and digitalisation.”

​Host sponsor Porto do Açu is the largest deep-water and private industrial port complex in Latin America. In operation since 2014, it has 30 companies installed and 11 private terminals. The port’s future projects aim to increase agribusiness, mining and oil and gas activities, while advancing renewable energy projects and accelerating low-carbon industrialisation.

IAPH VP for Central and South America and director of port administration at Porto do Açu, Vinicius Patel commented: “We are immensely proud to welcome the global port community to Rio de Janeiro for the first World Ports Conference ever held in South America. This is a significant milestone for IAPH and a recognition of the growing relevance of Central and South American ports within the global maritime and logistics landscape. As both host sponsor and an active member of IAPH, Porto do Açu is honoured to help create a platform where leaders from across the world can exchange experiences, strengthen partnerships and advance practical solutions for the major challenges facing our industry, from the energy transition and decarbonisation to digitalisation, resilience and sustainable growth. We look forward to welcoming our colleagues to Brazil and showcasing the dynamism, innovation and opportunities that our region has to offer.”

The South American debut of the World Ports Conference represents another landmark in IAPH’s deepening engagement with the South and Central American port sector, which includes the appointment of Guimara Tuñón Guerra as development director for the region, the renewal via an MoU of historic close ties with Inter-American Committee on Ports of the Organization of the American States (OAS-CIP), the holding of a joint forum for Latin American ports in Montevideo, Uruguay, and the translation of many of IAPH’s industry-leading publications and tools into Spanish.

IAPH development director for Central and South America Guimara Tuñón Guerra commented: “Hosting the World Ports Conference in South America for the first time is an important milestone for IAPH and for the region. #IAPH2027 in Rio will give Latin American ports a valuable opportunity to contribute more directly to the global port agenda, share the solutions being developed across the region and build stronger partnerships around our common challenges and priorities.”

Further announcements about #IAPH2027 will be made at the Association’s upcoming conference in London, 3-6 November 2026.

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The event opened with remarks from Ichio Motono, IAPH vice-president for Asia, South/West, East & Middle East, who has been engaging with major Japanese ports to encourage greater participation by younger staff in IAPH’s technical committees. 

Patrick Verhoeven, managing director of IAPH, then provided a presentation introducing IAPH’s technical committees and their contribution to addressing the key challenges facing ports worldwide.

With more than 400 members globally, IAPH brings together port authorities and other stakeholders to facilitate international cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and experience. Patrick described the technical committees as the “engine room” of IAPH, providing a platform for members to exchange information, develop practical guidance and tools, and address issues of common interest. IAPH currently has five active technical committees covering Climate and Energy; Data Collaboration; Risk and Resilience; as well as Cruise; and Planning, Operations and Finance.

The presentation highlighted a broad range of issues shaping the port sector, including decarbonization, alternative marine fuels, onshore power supply (OPS), digitalization, cybersecurity, port call optimization, and resilience. With no single alternative marine fuel having yet emerged as the clear long-term solution, Patrick noted that ports should prepare for a “multifuel future” and respond to the evolving requirements of the shipping industry.

Patrick also introduced several IAPH initiatives and practical resources supporting ports in these areas, including the Environmental Ship Index, the Clean Marine Fuels toolkit, and the Port Readiness Level tool. In addition, the World Port Sustainability Program provides an online portfolio through which ports can share projects, experiences and good practices with the international port community.

The subsequent Q&A session provided an opportunity to discuss issues of particular relevance to ports in Japan and Asia. Participants raised questions concerning access to technical committee information, sustainability accreditation for cruise terminals, the different stages of port digitalization, and opportunities for greater participation by Asian ports. Patrick explained that meeting recordings, summary records, webinars and increasingly AI-supported summaries are available to help members access information efficiently, while encouraging members to focus on topics most relevant to their respective organizations.

The discussion also addressed climate resilience, including sea-level rises, flooding and other long-term impacts on port infrastructure. Patrick noted that a working group under the Risk and Resilience Committee is developing guidance on climate change impacts and encouraged Japanese ports to contribute their experience and expertise to this work.

The seminar underscored the importance of continued international cooperation in addressing the complex and rapidly evolving challenges facing the port sector. Patrick encouraged Japanese and other Asian port stakeholders to actively engage in IAPH’s technical committees and to bring regional experiences and common challenges to the international discussion.

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The Kiribati Ports Authority (KPA) is Kiribati’s national port authority, responsible for managing the country’s principal ports and ensuring the efficient, safe, and secure movement of international cargo and vessels. KPA operates the ports of Betio (Tarawa) and Kiritimati and serves as a key facilitator of trade and economic development in Kiribati.

For more information, please visit the following website.

https://www.kiribatiportsauthority.online/

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