Port State Control A/W - UK P&I Members Area

LATIN AMERICAN AGREEMENT(ACUERDO DE VIÑA DEL MAR)MEXICOCUBAPANAMAVENEZUELACOLOMBIAECUADORPERUB R A Z I LCHILEURUGUAYARGENTINAThe information contained in the following section providesan outline of Port State Control procedures under the LatinAmerican Agreement on Port State Control (the “Viña Delstatistics as well as the development of a regional databasehave been arranged under the auspices of the ArgentinianCoast Guard based in Buenos Aires.Mar Agreement”).BASIC PRINCIPLESMEMBER STATESThe current member states are:ArgentinaChileCubaMexicoPeruVenezuelaBrazilColombiaEcuadorPanamaUruguayThe recitals of the Latin American Agreement emphasises thatthe main responsibility for effective enforcement of internationalconventions lies with the owners and the flag states, but as withthe other regional agreements it recognises the “need foreffective action of Port States in order to prevent the operationof deficient ships.”The recitals also acknowledge the objectives of ROCRAMand other South American regional resolutions and heralda harmonisation role for the Agreement when it states “isOUTLINE OF THE STRUCTURE OF THEVIÑA DEL MAR AGREEMENTThe executive body of the Latin American Agreement on PortState Control is the Port State Control Committee. This iscomposed of representatives of the Member states whichnecessary to avoid differences in the treatment given to shipsby the different courts and that said practices may distortcompetition between ports”. As with the other regionalagreements it regards its primary role as one of “back up”to the roles of the flag states and coordination, as it states inthe recitals:meets once a year, or at shorter intervals if necessary.Administrative procedures, co-ordination and publication of22