IAPH World Ports Conference will shine a light on the key strategic concerns for the industry on 4 November 2026

IAPH Board members met in London on Monday for their second quarterly meeting of the year. IAPH president Jens Meier and board members Abubakar Dantsoho (VP for Africa), Marika Calfas (VP for Southeast Asia and Oceania) and Ichio Motono (VP for Asia, South/West, East & Middle East) participated in person. Board members Vinicius Patel (VP for America, Central & South) and Gene Seroka (VP for America, North) attended remotely. 

 The quarterly management report,

Managing director Patrick Verhoeven and secretary-general Masahiko Furuichi provided the Board with the quarterly management report, covering the financial situation, membership development, the new management framework of the Environmental Ship Index, implementation of the 2026 work programme, the World Ports Sustainability Program as well as upcoming events, including the World Ports Conference.

New chair and vice chair of the Risk and Resilience Committee.

 Board members appointed Peter Van Parys (North Sea Port) and Fabian Steinmann (Cranfield University) as chair and vice chair of the Risk and Resilience Committee. Peter Van Parys will officially take over from the incumbent chair, Niels Vanlaer (Port of Antwerp-Bruges), in November. Before the meeting, the Board had an exchange of views with IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez on progress with the IMO Net Zero Framework, the review of the ISPS Code, and the implementation in ports of the recently adopted Code on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS Code). 

Related: Alex Gregg-Smith takes over as IACS Council Chair at a time when shipping enters a more complex safety period.

The day concluded with a convivial dinner with the new chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping, John Denholm, ICS’s secretary-general Thomas Kazakos, and chief of staff Laura Worley.

#IAPH2026 sessions will tackle critical topics ​

On the other hand, the IAPH World Ports Conference will shine a light on the key strategic concerns for the industry. On 4 November 2026, a plenary session will see industry leaders reflecting recent developments at the IMO, and examining the commercial implications and potential infrastructure requirements. ‘The IMO Net Zero Framework and the future of global regulation of maritime carbon emissions

#IAPH World Ports Conference #IMO Net Zero #IAPH Board members #Jens Meier#ICS #IMO SG discussion