AIVP has officially announced that Dunkirk, France, will host the 21st World Conference Cities & Ports from 3 to 6 November 2026. A flagship event for the international network of port and urban stakeholders, this conference will bring together over 400 participants from more than 50 countries for four days of discussions, site visits and debates in the heart of a region undergoing rapid transformation.
Save the date: 3–6 November 2026 · Dunkirk, France
What is the AIVP World Conference on Cities & Ports?
Organised annually by the International Association of Cities & Ports (AIVP), the World Cities & Ports Conference is the leading global platform for all stakeholders involved in the sustainable development of port areas. For over 30 years, it has brought together mayors, port directors, urban planners, technical experts and international institutions around a shared conviction: cities and ports must move forward together.
Each edition highlights the most pressing challenges – energy transition, climate resilience, collaborative governance and logistics innovation – through a variety of complementary formats: plenary sessions, round tables, interactive workshops and site visits.
The 21st edition, in Dunkirk, follows on from the 20th edition, which took place in New York in November 2025.
Why Dunkirk? A region that embodies the city–port interface.
The choice of Dunkirk is an obvious one. This coastal town in the Hauts-de-France region is now one of the most striking examples of what a port city committed to its transition can look like.
A major port, undergoing radical change
As France’s third-largest port and a major port complex in Northern Europe, the Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque handles around 50 million tonnes of goods per year and generates over 29,000 jobs. But beyond the figures, it is the momentum of transformation that is remarkable.
Dunkerque, a pioneer in industrial decarbonisation
Dunkirk has set itself an ambitious goal: to transform itself from the leading industrial emitter of CO2 into the leading provider of solutions. As the winner of the first “Low-Carbon Industrial Zones” (ZIBaC) call for projects and recognised by the World Economic Forum as one of the world’s top 20 regions for its environmental commitment, the city has become a living laboratory for the transition.
The establishment of major players in electric mobility : Verkor, ProLogium and Orano-XTC New Energy – in the industrial and port zone positions Dunkirk at the heart of the future “battery valley” of Hauts-de-France. Hydrogen, CO2 capture, waste heat: concrete projects are multiplying, driven by exemplary cooperation between public and private stakeholders.
A model of dialogue between city and port
Dunkirk also illustrates what long-term dialogue between city and port can achieve. The Dunkirk Urban Community and the Grand Maritime Port share a common vision for territorial development, embodied in innovative projects such as free public transport across the metropolitan area, a first in Europe. This is exactly the type of cooperation that AIVP promotes across its network.
Who is taking part in the World Cities & Ports Conference?
-
- Public authorities: mayors, city councillors for urban planning, economic development officers
- Port authorities: presidents and chief executives of maritime and river ports
- Technical experts: urban planners, engineers, planners, sustainability consultants
- Companies: logistics, infrastructure, environment, maritime technology
- International institutions: UN-Habitat, UNESCO, IMO, and other global organisations
The conference programme
The World Cities & Ports Conference 2026 will offer a rich programme, designed to alternate between collective reflection and on-site immersion:
- Round tables: sharing experiences around concrete challenges
- Thematic workshops: interactive formats to explore key topics in greater depth
- Technical visits: immersion in Dunkirk’s urban and port projects
- Networking sessions: opportunities to meet your future partners on a global scale
The detailed programme and the list of speakers will be published shortly.
Practical information
| Date | November 3–6, 2026 |
| Venue | Kursaal de Dunkerque – Palais des Congrès |
| Address | Place du Casino, Malo-les-Bains, Dunkirk (France) |
| Participants | 400+ people · 50+ countries |
| Registration | Registration for the AIVP World Conference 2026 |
About AIVP
The International Association of Cities and Ports (AIVP) is the global network of stakeholders in the sustainable development of port cities. Since 1988, it has fostered dialogue between cities and ports, shared best practices, and supported regions in achieving more sustainable, inclusive, and innovative development.
