Port General Manager Rory J. Respicio addresses members and attendees at the 47th Association of Terminal Operators, Stevedoring and Shipping Companies of Micronesia (ATOSSCOM) Conference. This year’s conference was held in Guam from December 5-6, 2022 at the Hotel Nikko Guam and was hosted by the Port Authority of Guam

The Association plays a key role in the collaboration of ports and harbors of Micronesia by advancing friendships amongst its membership and understanding the growth of waterborne commerce of the region. ATOSSCOM gathers for their annual conference with its membership of island nations including Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Pohnpei, Palau, Kosrae, Yap, Chuuk, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. This year’s conference was hosted by Guam and included key speakers including Governor Lou Leon Guerrero who delivered the Keynote Address.

“Today there is a deeper understanding and appreciation of the critical role that ports play in the supply chain. The critical role of port workers and employees was elevated at a crucial time when half the world had their doors closed. Today port workers are recognized as front liners along with police officers, fire fighters, and medical personnel,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero.

“The global crisis has magnified the need to explore the potential for growth in transshipment, manufacturing, assembly, distribution and export business activities not just in Guam but in the region,” she added.

In Guam, there are more than 600 foster children. Many of these children come from difficult backgrounds filled with pain and trauma and have never experienced the true joy that Christmas can bring. The Harvest House mission is helping children and teens in Guam develop a heart for God by providing a safe haven to help them grow physically, socially, mentally, and spiritually.In her Keynote address, Governor Leon Guerrero also spoke of Guam and CNMI’s strategic importance to the United States Indo-Pacific Strategy. Guam and the region are in the midst of one of the largest peacetime military buildups in U.S. history with the development of military and strategic facilities in the Western Pacific Region to the tune of more than $11 billion in new military and commercial construction, maintenance and service contracts that will be happening in the next 7-8 years

“International tensions are high and the importance of being prepared cannot be overstated. Now, more than ever, our region is under the microscope of the United States and our ports must capitalize on this attention to strengthen federal relationships and funding assistance to ensure our ports meet the demands of the military buildup and the region's organic growth,” Leon Guerrero added.

The last ATOSSCOM conference took place in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic and was also hosted by the Port Authority of Guam.