Honduras and El Salvador have each approved an Action Plan aimed at modernizing the facilitation of maritime traffic. The Plans are designed to support the effective and sustainable implementation of the Facilitation Convention (FAL Convention) and its amendments in their respective countries.
Each country adopted the Plans, following respective National Workshops on Facilitation, convened by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Central American Commission on Maritime Transport (COCATRAM).
Inter-institutional participation and regional cooperation
In Honduras, the workshop took place in Tegucigalpa (14 and 15 July), under the coordination of the General Direction of Merchant Marine of Honduras (DGMM). Thirty-two representatives from national institutions with responsibilities related to the reception and clearance of ships at ports* as well as private sector stakeholders participated in the workshop.
In El Salvador, a similar workshop was held in El Salvador (17 and 18 July) culminating in the country's adoption of the Action Plan. The workshop gathered eighteen participants from national authorities and agencies involved in ship clearance and facilitation procedures**, as well as representatives from the private sector.
During both workshops, participants analysed the results of virtual consultancies carried out by IMO, the first one in 2021, and the second one in 2023 in Honduras and in 2024 in El Salvador, focused respectively on information gathering and technical follow-up. The national situations regarding maritime facilitation were also reviewed. These activities formed part of Phase 3 of the countries' technical assistance cycle, within the framework of efforts to implement a Maritime Single Window (MSW).
Participants from both countries also had the opportunity to learn first hand about Guatemala's experience in implementing its own Maritime Single Window.
Content and structure of the Actions Plan
The approved Action Plans envisions a comprehensive modernization of facilitation processes for international maritime traffic. Among its key components is the enhancement of efforts to implement a Maritime Single Window (MSW), a digital platform that allows for the centralization and simplification of procedures related to ship arrival and clearance (departure) at ports.
The documents include several technical sections, such as identified priority gaps, immediate strategic priorities, specific objectives, and priority activities necessary for implementation. It also includes proposed key performance indicators (KPIs), a tentative timeline, and formal channels for submitting technical cooperation requests.
The Plans is designed to ensure alignment with national priorities, the regional priorities agreed within the COCATRAM framework, and IMO's Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) 2026-2027. The documents also include a monitoring mechanism to periodically evaluate the progress and impacts of the implementation process.
*General Direction of Merchant Marine (DGMM), the National Migration Institute (INM), the National Service of Health and Agri-Food Safety (SENASA), the Regional International Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA), the Ministry of Health (SESAL), and Customs Honduras.
**Coast Guard Service of the Ministry of National, the Autonomous Executive Port Comission (CEPA), the Customs Authority of El Salvador, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Health, the Pacific Port Union (UPDP)
