Central American countries, including Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama, have recently started working on a regional maritime strategy. This strategy is designed to enhance coordination and cooperation for maritime development in these six countries.
Consultation Meeting and Identification of Priorities
Members of the Regional Operational Cooperation Network from maritime offices in Central America (ROCRAM-CA) met virtually on September 25 with experts from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and national focal points. The aim of this meeting was to identify common priorities for regional cooperation. This initiative is being carried out with financial support from the government of Malaysia as part of its contributions to maritime capacity development and regional cooperation.
Consultation and Regional Assessment Stages
During this meeting, participants reviewed the methodology, work plan, and next steps. National focal points were tasked with providing strategic information and documentation in the coming months. These inputs will assist in the regional assessment to identify priorities and areas where coordinated action can create added value. Additionally, this strategy should be designed to fully possess regional ownership and reflect the needs and priorities identified by the participating maritime offices.
The final outcome of this regional maritime strategy will include an actionable roadmap that specifies priority actions, consultation timelines, responsible stakeholders, and oversight arrangements. This roadmap will provide a practical framework for regional maritime development and will help guide future technical cooperation and resource mobilization in line with agreed regional priorities.
This initiative is part of a phased approach agreed upon at the first meeting of the Directors of Maritime Offices in Latin America (DAMLA 1), held in July 2026 in Guatemala. The ROCRAM-CA strategy represents the first phase of this approach, transforming regional commitments into a practical sub-regional process and providing a basis for broader strategic alignment among maritime offices across Latin America.
This strategy is expected to be completed by December 2026, following consultations and approval with the participating offices.
