Panama has been reinstated on the White List of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (Paris MoU), as highlighted in the organization’s recent Annual Report. The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) expressed its satisfaction with this recognition, which is considered a key international benchmark for evaluating maritime administration performance and quality. Being on the White List indicates that Panama’s ship registry adheres to the highest global standards for maritime safety and regulatory oversight.
This accomplishment stems from a dedicated strategy aimed at bolstering safety standards, ensuring compliance with international conventions, and enhancing oversight of the Panamanian merchant fleet. It reinforces Panama’s reputation as a registry committed to excellence, transparency, and maritime safety. The PMA’s initiatives over the past few years have focused on improving the performance of Panamanian-flagged vessels during Port State Control (PSC) inspections and elevating the overall quality of the registry.
To enhance its standing within the Paris MoU, Panama has implemented several initiatives. These include strengthening preventive inspections for higher-risk vessels, introducing rigorous monitoring mechanisms for vessels with deficiencies, and reinforcing the precheck process for registry admissions. Additional measures involve adopting improved methodologies for Flag State Inspections and expanding oversight of Recognized Organizations (ROs) and ship operators.
The Paris MoU assesses flag State performance based on a rolling three-year average of inspections and detentions at member ports. Panama’s return to the White List is a testament to the significant improvements in the quality indicators of its fleet, reflecting the positive impact of the PMA’s policies.
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