Honduras and El Salvador have each formally approved an action plan to modernize maritime traffic facilitation, aligning national procedures with the Facilitation Convention (FAL Convention) and its amendments, according to IMO's release.
The approval followed national workshops held under the joint coordination of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Central American Commission on Maritime Transport (COCATRAM).
In Honduras, the workshop took place in Tegucigalpa on 14–15 July, coordinated by the General Direction of Merchant Marine of Honduras (DGMM); 32 representatives of national institutions and private-sector stakeholders participated.
In El Salvador, a similar session was held in San Salvador on 17–18 July, with 18 participants from government agencies and the private sector.
Both countries reviewed outcomes of IMO-led virtual consultancies—held in Honduras (2021 and 2023) and in El Salvador (2024)—focused on information gathering and technical follow-up.
These were part of Phase 3 of national technical assistance cycles under efforts to implement a Maritime Single Window (MSW).
Participants also examined Guatemala’s MSW implementation experience.
The action plans outline steps to modernize international maritime facilitation processes, with a central emphasis on deploying a digital MSW platform.
The documents identify priority gaps, strategic objectives, KPIs, a tentative timeline, and formal procedures for requesting technical cooperation.
They aim to align with national priorities, the regional agenda defined by COCATRAM, and IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) for 2026–2027.
A monitoring mechanism is included to evaluate ongoing progress.
IMO has been conducting remote technical consultancies in Honduras since 2021; Guatemala launched its MSW in 2019–2020. These align with Phase 3 assistance under ITCP.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized United Nations agency responsible for global shipping safety, maritime security and environmental standards, with 176 member states and over 50 treaties.
Central American Commission on Maritime Transport (COCATRAM) is a regional intergovernmental commission focused on harmonizing maritime transport policies in Central America.