At its meeting of 5 November 2002 meeting of the Electronic Chart Working Group (ECWG) of the MesoAmerican-Caribbean Sea Hydrographic Commission (MACHC), formerly the Caribbean Sea – Gulf of Mexico Hydrographic Commission, two needs were identified:

1. Build up national capacity for regional coastal states in need of assistance.

2. for hydrographic data acquisition and nautical chart production, Increase ENC coverage of the region, particularly for major ports and shipping routes.

As such, ECWG formed two task groups to address these needs:

• Task Group 1 – Meso-American Pilot Project Task Group to improve capacity building of coastal states within a discreet pilot area, towards the long-term goal of producing ENCs.

• Task Group 2 – ENC Production and Distribution Task Group in the short to medium term.

1. Membership is open to all members of the MACHC. Task Group members are encouraged to participate fully in the work of the group, and to share experience and expertise whenever possible.
2. The Chair of the ECWG assigns Task Group Chairs. These individuals can be a representative from a Full or Associate Member of the MACHC.
3. The work of the Task Groups shall mainly be carried out by correspondence, preferably by e-mail. The Task Group Chairs are responsible for providing secretariat support for Task Group activities.
4. The Task Groups shall generally meet in conjunction with the meeting of the MACHC -ECWG. The Task Group Chairs may call intercessional meetings as necessary or at the request of a majority of participants, as resources allow.
5. Meetings shall generally be conducted in English, unless all the participants agree otherwise. Spanish interpretation will be done as resources allow.
6. Minutes shall be produced in English, and shall be produced and distributed within 30 days following each meeting. Spanish translation will be done as resources allow.

1. The initial focus should be the IADB-funded Gulf of Honduras Project. In particular, there is a need to ensure the inclusion of a hydrographic component, and to demonstrate the value of hydrographic data for meeting overall Gulf of Honduras Project goals. If successful, the ECWG pilot project could be expanded to include other countries within the MACHC region.
2. The next steps include
1. Proactively promote hydrographic interests in the Gulf of Honduras project
2. Prepare an Action Plan and Milestones
3. Work with the IHO to develop a complementary hydrographic proposal representative of the region to incorporate into COCATRAM or other regional projects.
4. Identify other regional opportunities where hydrographic interests can be integrated.
5. Provide a report at each meeting of the MACHC ECWG.

Task Group #2 - ENC Production and Distribution Task Group

Goal - Facilitate the production and distribution of ENC data for major ports and shipping routes within the MACHC region. Promote the use ENC data by major shipping companies and cruise lines thereby contributing to safety of navigation, improved efficiency of maritime transportation, and marine environmental protection.

Chair - National representative of Mexico (CAPT. Cornelio Espinosa).

Initial Members - Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Trinidad, UK, USA, and Venezuela.

Task Assignments -

1. Recommend a process for selecting ports and routes for ENC for ENC coverage. Specify appropriate selection criteria and weighting parameters.
2. Identify ENC production responsibilities for the selected ports and routes.
3. Prepare an action plan and milestones.
4. Recommend options for distribution of ENCs to the shipping market.
5. Recommend and, where appropriate, establish cooperative arrangements for ENC production, quality assurance and maintenance.
6. Provide a progress report at each meeting of the MACHC ECWG.

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