As cooperation for port trade, operations and efficient service delivery information sharing is being enhanced through the establishment and works of the three sub-regional associations of port authorities, namely the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), Port Management Association of East and Southern Africa (PMAESA) and the Union of Port Administrations of Northern Africa (UAPNA), it was observed that individually, these three ports Associations established since 1972, have worked and did achieve significant milestones in their respective regions.

However, there was the need to harmonize these exchanges and create a continental pool of port Authorities that could ensure that effectively, bad lessons in one sub-region were not repeated in another region and that good lessons and best practices in one sub-region could be very efficiently and harmoniously shared and replicated all over the continent. It was this dream that led to the establishment in 1999 of the Pan African Association for Ports Cooperation (PAPC), which is a federation of PMAWCA, PMAESA and UAPNA. 

Since its establishment, it is gratifying to mention that through its biannual flagship PAPC Conference, the federated body has promoted continent-wide forum for ports and the maritime business community to meet, share experiences and deliberate on the challenges and prospects of the port, maritime transport and trade sector of the continent.