Webinar on COVID-19 and maritime transport: Disruptions and resilience in Latin America and the Caribbean

Understanding the impacts of the COVID-19 disruption on maritime transport, response measures adopted and overall implications for the sector is key given the role of maritime transport as the backbone underpinning global supply chains, trade and economic interdependency.  Any disruption to global maritime transportation networks can have far-reaching implications for a highly globalized world economy. The restrictions introduced in response to the pandemic have caused disruptions affecting ports, shipping and supply chains. In this context, assessing impacts, managing risks and building resilience in maritime transport are the new mantras of a post Covid-19 world.

The webinar, organised in collaboration with UN-ECLAC, aims to improve understanding of stakeholders in Latin America and the Caribbean of the COVID-19 impacts on the region’s maritime transport systems. It also aims to clarify the response measures taken to mitigate such impacts and, identify potential good practices allowing for effective crises management and business continuity. Insight gained will help to build the capacity of key stakeholders in the region to better assess and manage disruptions as well as enhance preparedness and resilience to future proof the maritime supply chain of the future.

This event is the first in a series of online regional capacity building activities aimed at:

• Raising awareness, among policy makers and industry players, about COVID-19 impacts, responses and good practices in crises management and resilience building
• Building their capacity to plan and prepare for future similar disruptions and future proof the maritime supply chain
• Gathering input from stakeholders with a view to new guidance material and tools that will be developed and made available to them and support their resilience building efforts.

This event falls under the maritime transport component undertaken by UNCTAD under the UNDA project on COVID-19 titled “Transport and trade connectivity in the age of pandemics: Contactless, seamless, and collaborative UN solutions”. Activities under the project aim to strengthen the capacity to anticipate and recover from disruptions affecting maritime supply chain and include the following:

• Data compilation and analytics, research and set of good practices on crises management and resilience building in maritime transport
• Analysis clarifying the impact of the COVID-19 disruption on global and regional maritime transportation
• Analysis and identification of the response measures introduced in the face of the COVID-19 disruption
• Identification of good practices that allowed for effective management of the crisis and maintaining business continuity in the maritime supply chain

(To join this meeting, you will need to have a Google Chrome/Firefox/Microsoft Edge browser installed)