Port state control organization Tokyo MOU has accepted Panama as the 21st member authority.

This was decided at the Tokyo MOU’s 30th meeting in Majuro, the Marshall Islands, held from October 14 to 17, 2019.

Having completed a three-year term as a cooperating member authority, Panama applied for full membership of the Tokyo MOU. The committee considered the application and the report of a fact finding mission, which confirmed full compliance with the qualitative membership criteria by Panama.

In accordance with provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Asia-Pacific Region (Tokyo MOU), the committee unanimously agreed to accept Panama as the member authority.

As explained, the committee considered and adopted amendments to the memorandum relating to full membership of Panama.

Tokyo MOU was signed among eighteen maritime authorities in the region in December 1993 and came into operation in April 1994.

Current full member authorities include Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philipines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Vanuatu and Vietnam, with Mexico being a cooperating member.