Panama will be the venue for the “XXVIII Meeting of the Agreement Committee, and Administrators of Information Centers as well as Technical Work Groups” of the Viña del Mar Agreement, scheduled to take place from September 5 to 8 of this year.

The Viña del Mar Agreement, also known as the Latin American Agreement on Control of Vessels by the Port State Control, will gather maritime authorities from the region. These authorities are responsible for overseeing port State control jurisdiction in areas such as security, maritime protection, shipping facilitation, and prevention of pollution caused by ships.

The event will focus on topics related to harmonizing port State control procedures for Port State Control Officers (OSERP). This includes addressing deficiencies, identifying measures taken in each case, and eradicating the operation of deficient ships in Latin American ports.

Signed on November 5, 1992, during the sixth meeting of the Regional Cooperation Operational Network of Maritime Authorities of South America, Cuba, Mexico, and Panama (ROCRAM), the Viña del Mar Agreement currently comprises 16 member states from Central and South America.

Delegations from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Panama, along with representatives of the Viña del Mar Agreement Secretariat, special guests, and observers, will participate in the meeting.

Panama, once again chosen as the host, will incorporate a technical visit into the agenda for the delegates of the member countries. This visit will provide them with firsthand insights into the development of various areas of the maritime industry in Panama.

The Panama Maritime Authority, as the Panamanian state entity responsible for Port State Control compliance, reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that foreign ships arriving at national ports adhere to international standards and regulations adopted by the Republic of Panama.