Participants from 13 Pacific Island nations gathered to deepen their understanding of maritime trade facilitation and the maritime single window (MSW) concept in Nadi, Fiji (17-20 October). The regional workshop on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic was convened by IMO in collaboration with the Pacific Community (SPC)
From 1 January 2024 it will be compulsory for ports around the world to operate maritime single windows (MSWs) for the electronic exchange of information required on ships’ arrival at a port, their stay and their departure. This mandatory change follows the adoption by IMO's Facilitation Committee in 2022 of amendments to the FAL Convention.
The Pacific Islands region consists of a high number of Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), often sparsely populated island archipelagos, scattered over a vast sea area. As a result, the Pacific Islands region relies particularly heavily on shipping for employment and the supply of goods. The free flow of maritime traffic is, therefore, all the more important.
The workshop, attended by 43 representatives from customs, maritime administrations and port authorities, included presentations highlighting the importance of maritime transport to their region. It was also a forum to give advice on the FAL Convention amendments which will enter into force next year.
The World Bank Group provided information on the procedures and programs it has available to help countries improve maritime transport, particularly in the areas of facilitation and the single window.
A total of 43 participants attended from the following countries: the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu took part.
The event was organized under IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) with the support of the Pacific Community (SPC).
Julian Abril, Head of Facilitation Section, Maritime Safety Division, represented IMO.