PIANC
 |
|
| Motto | Navigare necesse. |
|---|---|
| Formation | May 25, 1885 |
| Type | Engineering Society |
| Headquarters | Brussels, Belgium |
|
Membership
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2,100 |
|
Official language
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English, French |
|
President
|
Geoffroy Caude, FR (since 2011) |
|
Key people
|
Louis Van Schel, BE (Secretary General) |
|
Staff
|
5 |
| Website | www |
The World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC) is an international organisation founded in 1885 which is responsible for addressing topics and advising on standards in the field of navigable waterway traffic on canals, rivers and in ports. It is headquartered in Brussels in offices provided by the Flemish government of Belgium. Its earlier names were the Association Internationale Permanente des Congres de Navigation (AIPCN) until 1921, then as the Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses (PIANC). It is additionally known as the International Navigation Association (French: Association Internationale de Navigation).
On 25 May 1885, the first Inland Navigation Congress was held in Brussels, providing a forum for an international debate on these questions. After some years, the Inland Navigation Congress merged with the Ocean Navigation Congress and the International Navigation Congress was born. During the Congress in Paris, 1900, a Permanent International Commission for the Navigation Congresses was set up. Two years later statutes were adopted. PIANC was a fact. Congresses are held every four years and are spread all over the world. In 1926 it was decided to release a Bulletin every half year to promote the contact between members. The Bulletin still exists, but now in the form of an electronic Magazine. A decision made in 1979 was of utmost importance: to establish Permanent Technical Commissions and Working Groups under the umbrella of the Technical Commissions. The first Working Group report was issued in 1983 and over 100 others followed suit. PIANC changed considerably over the years, from an Association organising a Congress every four years, to an Association setting technical standards and publishing high ranking reports.
The association is composed of qualifying members, subscribing members and Honorary Members, who can be both legal and natural persons. The qualifying members of the association, having the right to vote in the general assembly, are:
PIANC operates with a President, a General Secretary and Vice-Presidents representing the main areas of the world. The main decision-making body is the General Assembly.
PIANC organizes the World Congress every four years in different areas of the world. Other periodic main events are: Smart Rivers, focused on inland navigation infrastructure, the COPEDEC congresses, that are held in countries in transition, the Mediterranean Days of Coastal and Port Engineering, focused on the Mediterranean area, "port of history, port of the World".
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Wikipedia