UNESCAP ASIA - PACIFIC REGIONAL DIALOGUE ON SUSTAINABLE MARITIME CONNECTIVITY - NAVIGATING UNCERTAINTY, ADVANCING TOGETHER

Attendance at the India Maritime Week 2025 Opening Ceremony and Related Events

Registration

ESCAP Secretariat

Opening remarks

Welcome

• Mr. Weimin Rein, Director, Transport Division, ESCAP Secretariat

Special Remarks

• Lee Hyun, Policy Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Republic of Korea

• Mr. Geunsub Kim, Deputy President, Korea Maritime Institute (KMI)

Inaugural Remarks

• Mr. Vijay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India

Vote of thanks

• Ms. Mikiko Tanaka, Head and Director, South and Southwest Asia Sub-regional Office, ESCAP Secretariat

Official Photograph

Moderator: Ms. Azhar Jaimurzina Ducrest, Chief, Transport Connectivity and Logistics Section, ESCAP Secretariat

Review of Maritime Transport 2025: Staying the Course in Turbulent Waters

• Mr. Hidenobu Tokuda, Economic Affairs Officer, UNCTAD

Maritime Connectivity in Asia and the Pacific: Key Findings from the 2024–2025 Annual Report

• Mr. Gyu Serb Kim, Expert, ESCAP Secretariat

Lunch Break

Moderator: Ms. Azhar Jaimurzina Ducrest, Chief, Transport Connectivity and Logistics Section, ESCAP Secretariat

Maritime Trade and Logistics Flows in Asia and the Pacific: Implications and Insights

• Ms. Heeyoung Ryu, Senior Researcher, Korea Maritime Institute (KMI)

Maritime Transport in South and South-West Asia: Current Status and Key Issues

• Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair Chandraserann, ESCAP Consultant

Q & A session

Moderator: Ms. Azhar Jaimurzina Ducrest, Chief, Transport Connectivity and Logistics Section, ESCAP Secretariat

Regional Cooperation in Maritime Transport in Asia and the Pacific: Current Initiatives and Future Plans

• Mr. Sooyeob Kim, Economic Affairs Officer, ESCAP Secretariat

Cooperation Strategies for Sustainable Development in South and South-West Asia

• Dr. Rajan Sudesh Ratna, Deputy Head and Senior Economic Affairs Officer, ESCAP SSWA Subregional Office

Maritime Transport Cooperation and Strategic Planning in ASEAN

• Mr. Haji Khairul Zaman Hj Abdul Jalil, Acting Assistant Chief Executive, MPA Brunei Darussalam / Chair, ASEAN MTWG

Coffee Break

SPECIAL SESSION FOR PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE MARITIME TRANSPORT IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Moderator: Ms. Azhar Jaimurzina Ducrest, Chief, Transport Connectivity and Logistics Section, ESCAP Secretariat

Welcome and Introduction:

• Mr. Weimin Rein, Director, Transport Division, ESCAP Secretariat

• Mr. Geunsub Kim, Deputy President, Korea Maritime Institute (KMI)

• Mr. Ninan Oommen Biju, Senior Port and Maritime Transport Specialist, World Bank

Special Address:

• Hon. Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India

ESCAP Report: Asia-Pacific Sustainable Maritime Connectivity Report 2024–2025

Coffee Break

Moderator: Ms. Azhar Jaimurzina Ducrest, Chief, Transport Connectivity and Logistics Section, ESCAP Secretariat

Trilateral Maritime Cooperation for Northeast Asia: Current Status of China–Korea–Japan Collaboration

• Ms. Bokyung Kim, Associate Research Fellow, Korea Maritime Institute (KMI)

Regional Maritime Transport Cooperation in the Bay of Bengal

• Mr. Prasanth Chandran, Director, BIMSTEC Secretariat

Regional Maritime Transport Cooperation in the Pacific

• Ms. Faranisese Kiniviwai, Maritime Transport Team Leader, Pacific Community (SPC)

Improving the Sustainability of Supply Chains through Technical Support for the Safety and Reliability of Navigation

• Mr. Oleg Chemov, Head of International Affairs Department, Russian Maritime Register of Shipping

Q & A session

Dinner hosted by the Government of the Republic of Korea (All participants are invited to attend)

Moderator: Ms. Azhar Jaimurzina Ducrest, Chief, Transport Connectivity and Logistics Section, ESCAP Secretariat

A Blue Transformation for Maritime Transport in Asia and the Pacific

• Mr. Ninan Oommen Biju, Senior Port and Maritime Transport Specialist, World Bank

Implementation Strategy for Green Shipping Corridors in Asia and the Pacific

• Mr. Paul Tae-Woo Lee, Director, Maritime Logistics and Free Trade Islands Research Center, Ocean College, Zhejiang University

Trends in Smart Maritime Technologies: Smart Ports and Autonomous Ships

• Ms. Daye Lee, Senior Researcher, Korea Maritime Institute (KMI)

Autonomous Navigation Technology and Personnel Training in Russia

• Mr. Sergey Sokolov, First Vice-Rector, Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping

• Ms. Victoria Shmygovskaya, Expert, Autonomous Navigation Promotion Center, MARINET RUT

Port-to-Port Cooperation to Promote Smart Ports and Support Developing Countries

• Dr. Ennarasu Karunesan, Regional Director, International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH)

Women’s Leadership and Legal Voice in Advancing Sustainable Maritime Connectivity in the Asia-Pacific Region

• Ms. Jimi John FCIArb, President, Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) India

Q & A session

Coffee Break

Moderator: Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair Chandraserann, ESCAP Consultant

Enhancing Maritime Accessibility for Central Asia: Current Initiatives

• Mr. Mohd Jawed, Senior Project Officer (Transport), Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Inland Waterways and Intermodal Connectivity in South and South-West Asia: Status and Challenges

• Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair Chandraserann, ESCAP Consultant

Policy and Technological Trends in Inland Waterway Development

• Mr. Gensheng Zhao, Expert, PIANC

Promoting Inland Waterway Transport in the Mekong Region: Current Status and Future Plans

• Mr. Duc Phu Tran, Navigation Operations Specialist, Mekong River Commission (MRC)

Q & A session

Lunch Break

Global Maritime Transport: Key Issues and Outlook from the IMO Perspective

• Mr. Jose Matheickal, Director, Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division, International Maritime Organization (IMO)

Moderator: Ms. Azhar Jaimurzina Ducrest, Chief, Transport Connectivity and Logistics Section, ESCAP Secretariat

Country reports: Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Georgia, India

Coffee Break

Country reports: Kazakhstan, Maldives, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan

Coffee Break

Discussions and Questions

Conclusion and Recommendations

ESCAP Secretariat