Reinforcing its commitment to global maritime safety and fleet quality, the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) and the General Directorate of Merchant Marine successfully hosted the Recognized Organizations (RO) Annual Meeting 2026 in Athens. The high-level gathering brought together representatives from 29 Recognized Organizations worldwide to discuss strategic cooperation, information sharing from Port State Control (PSC) inspections, and the implementation of modern statutory requirements.
Strengthening Strategic Alliances
Opening the proceedings, H.E. Julie Lymberopulos, Ambassador and General Consul of Panama in Greece, highlighted the PMA’s dedication to maintaining strong, transparent, and effective relationships with Recognized Organizations. Her Excellency emphasized the pivotal role of the General Consulate in Greece and the Segumar Piraeus office in maintaining the highest standards of maritime safety, operational integrity, and service to the global shipping community.
Providing a comprehensive flag state overview, Mr. Ramon Franco M., General Director of Merchant Marine at the Panama Maritime Authority, expressed deep appreciation for the strategic partnership with ROs. Detailing the registry's milestones—from its establishment in 1925 to Law 57 in 2008—Mr. Franco noted that the Panama Ship Registry currently controls 7,640 vessels totaling 193.8 million Gross Tonnage (GT), representing approximately 11% of the global fleet. Supported by 54 consular offices and 14 fully operational Segumar units worldwide, Panama continues to prioritize quality and compliance over pure tonnage growth.
Fleet Monitoring and Regulatory Compliance
A key focus of the conference was Panama’s proactive stance against high-risk shipping practices, including shadow fleet operations. Mr. Jose A. De Gracia B., Head of the RO Oversight Department, outlined updates to the regulatory framework and audit mechanisms. He underscored that Panama has achieved a significant reduction in casualties through Preventing substandard or high-risk vessels from entering the registry, Ensuring continuous monitoring and early detection of operational risks, Leveraging Segumar’s global network to improve PSC performance across all major MoU regions.
Complementing this, Mr. David Miranda, Chief of Port State Control at PMA, emphasized that Panama expects rapid responses, technical depth, recurrence control, and active communication from ROs during surveys. Meanwhile, Mr. Jose Racines, Head of SEGUMAR Piraeus, presented the PMA’s Fleet Monitoring Programme, demonstrating how continuous surveillance enhances safety standards.
Technical Innovations and Modern Regulations
The technical agenda featured prominent class society experts:
Mr. Juan Strahm (Global Technical Client Care Principal Specialist, Lloyd's Register) detailed the implementation of upcoming SOLAS requirements for lifting appliances.
Mr. Louis O'Donnell (Senior Director Flag & Statutory, American Bureau of Shipping) discussed the integration of Remote Surveys and Remote Inspection Techniques (RIT) into the Enhanced Survey Programme (ESP) Code.
The event reaffirmed Panama's evolution as an active, tech-driven, and safety-oriented flag state, working hand-in-hand with Recognized Organizations to meet the demands of a changing maritime landscape.
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