WeCAPS acts against COVID-19!
The WeCAPS project is working with the partner ports to fight against COVID 19! Given the current critical situation connected to the pandemic, the project has decided to re-shape its workplan to meet the immediate needs that partner ports are facing with the pandemic. The project is currently working on curricula focused on raising awareness of the ports’ staff on COVID-19 protection, sharing a best practices guide including standard operating procedures, and providing protection equipment for port staff. These capacity building activities will be conducted with the help of INSTATUR, an online platform established by the IcSP-funded CBRN Centre of Excellence project. The projects WeCAPS and the partner ports are also currently discussing the exact type of protection equipment and quantities to ensure the delivery fits their exact needs. In this matter, timing is paramount and WeCAPS is working to ensure quick purchase, aiming to deliver the equipment to most of the ports by the end of May.
Port assessments
WeCAPS has launched a series of assessments around the safety and security of the ports working with the project, frequently being coupled with training activities. Since January, the WeCAPS team has visited and assessed the ports of Brazzaville, Dakar, Pointe Noire and Abidjan but, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the next visits have been postponed. These assessments are going to be extremely beneficial for the partners, as they will enable WeCAPS to develop a tailor-made approach focusing on the individual needs of the ports. For a given port, the assessment cycle takes approximately nine weeks and includes analysis of needs related to port governance, organisation and finance, implementation of security and safety, etc.At the end of each assessment, the project’s team plans to deliver a comprehensive report and a proposed plan of action that will be shared with the local port authorities to inform the approach WeCAPS could undertake for activities to improve the port’s security and safety.The project team is currently working on the final report and the proposal for the action plan for the port of Dakar, which has been the only port in which it was possible to complete the assessment cycle, given the pandemic. However, WeCAPS is working on innovative solutions (such as remote needs assessments in agreement with the port authorities) to resume the work timely, without any further delay, guaranteeing at the same time the safety of the operations.
Dakar African Maritime Security Forum
Both GoGIN and WeCAPS had the great opportunity to be one of the partners during the Africa Maritime Security Forum in Dakar at the end of January, organised to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Senegal Navy. High level speakers and more than 300 participants attended the event, which was considered a major opportunity for the project to illustrate its activities, results, achievements and strategy to several partners in the Gulf of Guinea.
In the last few months WeCAPS has actively engaged in several trainings, all of them very well received by the partners. One of the most successful activities was the writing workshop organised by WeCAPS at the Autonomous Port of Abidjan between 24 and 28 February. The workshop focused on fire management regulations, with the goal of supporting emergency services and provide clear operation procedures.
Pointe Noire 3rd African ports meeting on environment and sustainability
To increase its visibility, WeCAPS participated in the 3rd Conference on the Environment and the Sustainability of African Ports from 11 to 13 February in Pointe Noire, Congo. The Conference is sponsored by three of the largest institutions involved in port operations in Africa, namely: Ports Environmental Network Africa (PENAf), the Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), and the Port Autonome de Pointe Noire (PAPN). The possibility to participate in the Conference was unique for the WeCAPS team, which was able to explore further collaborations with port and maritime consultants, maritime administrations, logistics companies, NGOs, environmental protection agencies etc.
