Interviewing Jorge Durán from the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP)

Inter-American Committee on Ports

The Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) stands out as the only permanent forum that brings together the National Port Authorities of the 34 Member Countries of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the leaders of the maritime-port industry. Its main objective is to promote the development of a port sector that is safe, competitive, sustainable and inclusive.

The CIP has four key mandates, addressing:

• Political dialogue
• Capacity building
• Technical Assistance
• Collaboration with the private sector.

In addition, the CIP, by decision of the National Port Authorities of the Member States, focuses on six priority areas:

1. Logistics, Innovation and Competitiveness
2. Port Security and Safety
3. Sustainable Port Management and Environmental Protection
4. Public Policy, Legislation and Regulation
5. Waterways, Inland and Cruise Ports
6. Port-City Relationship, Responsibility and Gender Equity.

Jorge Durán, Secretariat Chief, Inter-American Committee on Ports

With more than 30 years of experience, Jorge Durán has collaborated with governments and the private sector in Latin America and the Caribbean on development projects. Since 2003, he has held key roles at the Organization of American States (OAS), including Senior Advisor on Technology for Development, Director of the Office of Science, Technology and Innovation, and currently, as Secretary of the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP). Previously, he held the position of Vice President of International Affairs at the Latin American Institute of Educational Communication (ILCE) in Mexico City.

His experience also includes roles as Advisor to the Science Advisory Council of the Presidency of Mexico and Special Assistant to the Ambassador of Mexico to the UN. Durán, with master’s degrees in International Relations and Science and Technology Policy, is an associate professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey and Universidad Iberoamericana. He currently resides in Washington DC with her two daughters.

1. In a totally globalized economy, digital transformation is a must for any organization, could you briefly describe how you see the current situation of the port sector in Latin America?

For several years, ports in Latin America and the Caribbean have been working both to incorporate technologies into port processes and to digitize them. This trend was accelerated, on the one hand, by the COVID pandemic and on the other, by the decision of the FAL Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that, as of January 1, 2024, every port that wishes to trade globally must have a Maritime Single Window (MSW) for the electronic exchange of the information necessary for the arrival and departure of ships. National port authorities, as well as the private port sector, are well aware of the various benefits that digitalisation brings.  It is important to emphasize that, in order to carry out paperless procedures, a MSW involves a redesign of processes to incorporate them into a digital platform shared with the actors involved. Benefits of digitalisation, in addition to logistical efficiencies, greater efficiency and secure traceability, also include better sustainable management resulting from these efficiencies. Having a MSW generally reduces the time of ships in port, as well as trucks or railways, and consequently, also reduces greenhouse gases and carbon footprint. Finally, a MSW is the beginning for the creation of a Port Community System (PCS), the next step in the digitalisation and modernisation of port management.

2. From your point of view, what are the main challenges facing ports?

In general terms, the challenge of digitalisation is the most important at the moment. This digitalisation also implies the challenge of modernising the existing technological infrastructure, which requires financial investment. A huge challenge with various consequences is to successfully confront climate change. Sustainable port management and care for the environment are essential for this. A green or non-polluting port is more competitive than one that is not, both commercially and touristically (cruises). Tackling climate change also means reducing the port’s carbon footprint to zero. Having equipment that runs on electricity instead of hydrocarbon fuels and that can provide electricity to ships while in port, so that they turn off their engines, will only be efficient if the source of that electricity is a renewable source. All the effort is useless if the source of power is a coal-fired thermoelectric plant. As if this were not enough, and related to climate change are the new alternative fuels to hydrocarbons such as Natural Gas, ammonia, and hydrogen, just to mention a few. To be successful in this area, ports and terminals must not only invest in the necessary infrastructure, but also ensure that the alternative fuels supply chain works efficiently. Other challenges include gender equality and the increasingly important port-city relationship.

3. The CIP is constantly working with the aim of strengthening the maritime-port sector in Latin America, what is the role that software providers play in achieving this goal?

In an ideal world, it would be preferable to develop the code of a proprietary technological solution, as Barbados did in the Caribbean and countries such as Mexico. In these cases, the Maritime Single Window is designed around the unique conditions existing in the port and with the possibility of modular growth. However, not all national, state or local port authorities are in a position to do so and this is where software providers play an essential role in filling this lack of capabilities, whether technological or human resources, as well as the time factor (since developing your own solution takes time) or even being able to store data in the cloud. Software companies can represent a much-needed help to face the challenges imposed by the imminent modernization of the sector, including pre-MSW solutions, such as CDM (Collaborative Decision Making software) software that, without being a MSW, helps to have a precision system for the arrival and departure of ships allowing the port, for example, alerting an entrailing vessel that there is a delay in port, allowing that vessel to slow down, reducing emissions and saving fuel. In all cases where you do not have the capabilities or resources to make these developments, software vendors are the only ones who can help with this modernization.