Dear members, dear partners,
At the start of this new year, I would like to extend to you, on behalf of the entire AIVP team, our warmest wishes. In 2026, our association will remain fully committed to working alongside you to foster port-city dialogue and to support the transition of port territories towards a more sustainable and resilient model.
The 20th World Conference Cities & Ports, held in New York, highlighted the scale of the challenges facing our ecosystems: adaptation to the effects of climate change, economic transitions, geopolitical developments, new citizen expectations and changes in governance. The experiences shared on various topics – biodiversity, mobility, logistics innovation, urban development and climate resilience – strengthened a shared conviction: only through close cooperation between local, regional and global levels, and among all stakeholders, will we be able to meet these challenges.
In 2026, AIVP will continue to pursue its mission: contributing to a sustainable future for port cities, while respecting the needs of local authorities, port authorities, citizens and economic stakeholders. To this end, we will continue our monitoring work to feed our weekly newsletter, the best practices of our Agenda 2030 and our thematic publications. We will encourage the sharing of experiences and expertise through our various working groups and our World Conference, an unmissable annual event. We will also continue to be involved in international cooperation projects to ensure that the voice of port cities is heard.
The year 2026 will also be marked by major events:
1. The opening of our permanent representation in Québec City, aimed at strengthening our presence and actions in North America;
2. The second edition of the AIVP Prize Antoine Rufenacht, which recognises development projects that contribute to improving the city–port relationship.
3. The completion of the MAGPIE and Connected River European projects, in which our organization is heavily involved.
Finally, we will have the pleasure of meeting again in Dunkirk (France), from the 3rd until the 6th of November 2026, for the 21st World Conference Cities & Ports. A pioneering territory in France in terms of industrial transition, decarbonisation, port-city dialogue and partnership-based governance, Dunkirk now stands out as a true hub of port-city innovation. The quality of cooperation between public and private stakeholders, together with the scale of its structuring projects, makes it a particularly emblematic location to host our conference and enrich our discussions.
Thank you for your continued commitment and for the inspiration you bring to our entire network.
We wish you a year full of success, cooperation and enthusiasm.
Yours sincerely,
Bruno DELSALLE
Managing Director, AIVP
