RED MAMLa PRESENT AT THE XXVIII MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE VIÑA DEL MAR AGREEMENT

The meeting held during the first days of September, in Panama City, was attended by representatives of the 16 Maritime Authorities Members of the Agreement, together with other authorities and guests from the maritime port sector.

The Latin American Agreement on Port State Control of Ships, known as the "Viña del Mar Agreement", was signed on November 5, 1992, during the VI Meeting of the Operational Network for Regional Cooperation of Maritime Authorities of South America, Cuba, Mexico and Panama (ROCRAM), and aims to eradicate the operation of substandard foreign-flagged vessels visiting ports in the Latin American region.

The meeting began with welcoming remarks by Elvia Bustavino, Deputy Administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority and President of Red MAMLa, who highlighted the important role played by Port State Control in ensuring compliance with international rules and regulations, highlighting the progress made in Ballast Water Management Systems, Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from ships and the proper implementation of Safety Management Systems, among others.

Likewise, she referred to the joint task of the Maritime Authorities attached to the Agreement to standardize processes for the correct implementation of Port State control and to continue advancing in the common objective of discouraging the operation of substandard vessels in Latin America.

Finally, she pointed out that "...the active participation of each of the maritime authorities that are with us today, represents a testimony of our shared commitment to ensure maritime safety, environmental protection, living conditions and the rights of seafarers in our region".

During the days of the meeting, a series of issues related to the Agreement were discussed, and the Commission adopted important decisions regarding modifications that should be made to the current text. Thus, it was decided to incorporate the New Inspection Regime (NIR), the policy of dissemination of detentions in ports of the region and the request of the Mediterranean Memorandum of Understanding to participate in the meetings of the Committee as an observer, which was unanimously accepted by the attendees.

At the end of the meeting, the National Naval Prefect of Argentina, Prefect General Mario Rubén Farinón, addressed those present and summarized the topics discussed during the meeting, highlighting the good practices and the relevance of keeping the processes associated with the Port State's activities properly updated. Likewise, he expressed that "... as every year, Prefectura Naval Argentina participates in this important regional event contributing with proposals that will be the subject of debates and the search for consensus among all, with the aim of mobilizing our capabilities and experiences towards the achievement of our common goal of seeking, through our efforts as Port States, a safe, secure and environmentally friendly maritime transportation".

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