Maritime administrations in Central America have initiated the development of a regional strategy aimed at strengthening coordination and cooperation for maritime development across six countries.
Members of the Operative Network of Regional Cooperation of Maritime Administrations in Central America (ROCRAM-CA) met with IMO experts and national focal points in a virtual meeting (25 September) to identify shared priorities for regional cooperation.
The initiative is funded by the Government of Malaysia as part of its support for maritime capacity-development and regional cooperation and implemented by IMO in cooperation with the Central American Commission on Maritime Transport (COCATRAM) and participating Maritime Administrations from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama.
The meeting marked the start of the consultation phase, with participants reviewing the methodology, work plan and next steps. National focal points will provide information and strategic documentation over the coming months.
These inputs will contribute to a regional assessment to identify common priorities and areas where coordinated action can add value, while ensuring that the Strategy is regionally owned and reflects the priorities and needs identified by the participating Maritime Administrations.
The resulting Regional Maritime Strategy will be accompanied by an implementation roadmap setting out priority actions, indicative timelines, responsible stakeholders and monitoring arrangements. It will provide a practical framework for regional maritime development and help guide future technical cooperation and resource mobilization in support of agreed regional priorities.
The initiative forms part of the phased approach agreed at the first meeting of the Heads of Maritime Administrations of Latin America (DAMLA 1), held in Guatemala in July 2026. The ROCRAM-CA Strategy represents the first phase of this approach, translating that regional commitment into a practical subregional process and providing a subregional basis for broader strategic alignment among Maritime Administrations across Latin America.
The Strategy is expected to be completed by December 2026, following consultation and validation with the participating Administrations.
