The COVID-19 disruption has challenged the way that transport and port operations functioned. The post pandemic reality requires new responses and ways of doing business to ensure sector's resilience and business continuity and allow shipping and ports to effectively service international trade and global value chains. Relevant response measures include implementation of a global COVID-19 recovery plan that promotes environmentally conscious, green strategies and investments. This may include scaling up investment to promote clean energy and sustainable transport systems, boosting green projects and promoting the deployment of technology-based solutions. Together these priorities can help unleash the potential of ports to emerge as Sustainable Smart Ports (SSP) which in turn would help build back better and meet the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the global climate action targets. Sustainable Smart Ports are ports that leverage on new data environments, the energy transition of the maritime sector, as well as artificial intelligence and green technology-based solutions to enhance port operational efficiency, promote energy efficiency and clean/renewable energy sustainability, as well as tap into the possibility of producing clean/renewable-energy production and distribution. Against this background, the objective of this project is to strengthen the capacity of selected countries in Africa, including SIDS, in building Sustainable Smart Ports that promote sustainable energy and technology-driven solutions for a better sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and for achievement of SDGs. The project will rely on two components: (I) a diagnosis/assessment methodology, which underpins the assessment of the SSP status of ports in beneficiary countries and recommendations to provide further guidance on how best to achieve the SSP status; and (ii) a capacity building component (workshops, training, tools, best practices, etc.) to build knowledge as well as support implementation of key priority actions in the action plans/roadmaps and advance SSP development (at the national level) and to promote exchange of experience and collaboration in SSP development (at the regional level). The project will be implemented in the African region, including SIDS, who confront challenges in the path to transition towards, and influence the development of green smart ports. UNCTAD will be solely responsible for implementing the project and will seek to cooperate with relevant partners and relevant UN sister organizations as appropriate, including UN Country Teams and resident coordinators, the Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), IMO, IRENA, African Ports Tasks force and African port associations and Africa Development Bank.