Guidelines on the development of human resource capabilities in the field of freight forwarding operations in Africa

Abstract

In many countries, including some developed ones, freight forwarders are neither' defined nor regulated and therefore suffer from a lack of identity in their promotional and regulatory framework. In the absence of internationally recognized definitions, the use of expressions such as "Freight Forwarders" or "international Freight Forwarders" is consequently a frequent cause of misunderstanding -and confusion. The recent use of the expression ''Multimodal Transport Operator" (MTO), introduced in the UN Convention on International Multimodal Transport, further increased the confusion. They are today increasingly taking a carrier's responsibility of offering door-to-door transport operations and, by doing so; they are becoming multimodal transport operators. At the time when international transport was confined to port-to-port operations, freight forwarders were considered as subordinates of shipping companies and their agents. With the advent of containerization and the growing demand for tailored transport services, freight forwarders started identifying their role as complementary to modal operators by securing certain continuity in the intermodal movement of goods across borders. Today, they are becoming carriers and their profession is now essential to the international trade of a country. As a first-step towards Solving the Human Resource and Institutional Development (HRID) and training problems in freight forwarding is the preparation of this document. This document, in a guideline format, looks into ways and means to improve the human resource and institutional development of an important profession supporting both the trade and transport sectors of country - freight forwarding.