Busan to host World Port Cities Forum, succeeding Dunkirk

Busan announced Monday that the city was officially named the next host of the General Assembly of the Association Internationale Villes et Ports, or AIVP, at the closing ceremony of the organization's 21st gathering. The ceremony was held at the Kursaal Convention Center in Dunkirk, France, at 12:30 p.m. local time Friday (8:30 p.m. Korea time).

The AIVP General Assembly is an international conference where port cities and maritime stakeholders from around the world discuss strategies for the joint development of cities and ports. This year's assembly, held under the theme "Cities and Ports in Motion: Time for Action!", ran for four days in Dunkirk from Tuesday through Friday.

At the closing ceremony, Busan Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs Oh Seok-geun outlined the growth of Busan Port — the world's second-largest transshipment hub, marking its 150th anniversary this year — and introduced projects including the North Port redevelopment and the development of eco-friendly ship fuel supply infrastructure. Oh invited port city representatives worldwide to the 22nd General Assembly, to be held at Bexco from Nov. 2 to Nov. 5 next year, and pledged that the assembly would "serve as a bridge so that discussions among port cities can carry through to the UN Ocean Conference in Busan in June 2028."

Throughout the Dunkirk assembly, Busan operated a "BUSAN 2027" promotional pavilion at the venue to raise awareness of the city as the next host. The pavilion featured an exhibition showcasing Busan's vision as a maritime capital, ran social media events, and distributed Busan souvenirs — prepared in collaboration with the Busan Tourism Organization — to participants.

The Busan delegation attended the general membership meeting and the plenary session "Port City Debate," sharing the city's vision for port cities in 2050. The delegation also met with the newly formed AIVP Executive Committee, chaired by Olga Farman, president of the Port of Quebec, to request support and cooperation for next year's assembly in Busan.

The city will begin full-scale preparations for the 2027 assembly with an on-site inspection by the AIVP secretariat in December. The inspection team is scheduled to visit Busan on Dec. 1 and spend five days reviewing key venues including Bexco, checking accommodation facilities, and discussing detailed preparations.

Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo vowed to "prepare for the 2027 assembly without a hitch so that the momentum started in Dunkirk can translate into action in Busan," adding that the city would "do its utmost to position Busan as a hub of global port city cooperation, building on this assembly as a stepping stone."