Caribbeans Lead Maritime Single Window Implementation

To improve the efficiency of shipping worldwide, IMO Member States are required to utilize a single, centralized digital platform known as the Maritime Single Window (MSW) to collect and exchange information with ships during their port calls. With the support of IMO, Antigua and Barbuda has become the first country in the region to establish such a platform, and now, IMO is collaborating with the OECS to implement MSWs in five countries in the Eastern Caribbean sub-region.

The first step in this process is a needs assessment mission currently underway in St. Lucia, followed by similar missions in St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and Dominica. These missions will result in a gap analysis report of the current clearance system, identification of needs, and cost analysis for establishing an MSW system.

In addition to creating MSWs, the goal is to connect these systems to a mechanism that supports a regional central repository, leveraging the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency on Crime and Security-Joint Region Communication Centre (CARICOM IMPACS-JRCC). The Ministry of Infrastructures, Port Services, and Transport of St. Lucia is hosting the meetings with national regulatory agencies and private stakeholders, providing logistical and administrative support for this initiative.

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