Institutional and Legal Framework
Organic Act No. 18,398 (Argentine Coast Guard Act) and Navigation Act No. 20,094 designate the Argentine Coast Guard (Prefectura Naval Argentina – PNA) as the National Maritime Authority responsible for exercising maritime safety enforcement, maintaining public order within waters under national jurisdiction, and acting as the competent authority for navigation matters in Argentine ports, waterways, rivers, lakes, and maritime areas.
The responsibilities of the Argentine Coast Guard are also framed by the international conventions ratified by the Argentine Republic, particularly the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, as amended, under which Argentina assumes its obligations as a Coastal State, Flag State, and Port State.
In accordance with these obligations, and particularly with the provisions of Chapter V of SOLAS concerning the safety of navigation, together with the IMO Guidelines for Vessel Traffic Services adopted by Assembly Resolution A.1158(32), the Argentine Coast Guard is the competent authority responsible for the establishment, management, operation, supervision, and coordination of Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), ensuring the safe, efficient, and harmonized provision of such services to participating vessels.

Organization of Vessel Traffic Services
Within the organizational structure of the Argentine Coast Guard, the organizational unit responsible for Vessel Traffic Services, under the Directorate of Operations, is entrusted with the planning, management, supervision, and control of the VTS Centres. These centres implement operational procedures designed to:
-enhance the safety of navigation;
-improve the efficiency of maritime and inland waterway traffic;
-prevent hazardous navigational situations; and
-contribute to the protection of the marine environment from the adverse effects of vessel activities.

Regulatory and Supervisory Functions
As the National Maritime Authority, the Argentine Coast Guard issues regulations, ordinances, directives, circulars, notices, and other regulatory instruments concerning maritime safety and navigation. It also administers an inspection and enforcement regime aimed at ensuring that vessels, crews, passengers, and VTS users comply with applicable national legislation and international requirements.
These activities are carried out in accordance with the relevant international conventions, including SOLAS, MARPOL, the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR Convention, 1979), the STCW Convention, the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG, 1972), and other international instruments ratified by the Argentine Republic.

Safety of Navigation and Recreational Activities
To enhance the safety of recreational craft, pleasure vessels, and passenger ships engaged in international voyages to and from Argentine ports, the Argentine Coast Guard implements preventive measures and deploys the operational resources necessary to safeguard human life at sea and protect the marine environment.
The Institution also provides technical and operational support for the planning and conduct of nautical sporting events held within waters under Argentine jurisdiction.

Operational Area
The operational responsibilities of the Argentine Coast Guard’s VTS Centres extend well beyond congested port areas.
Argentina possesses an extensive inland waterway network, primarily comprising the Paraguay–Paraná Waterway System and the Santa Fe–Atlantic Ocean Waterway, one of South America’s principal logistics corridors for the transport of grains, cereals, vegetable oils, and other export commodities.
Within this framework, the VTS Centres provide services aimed at ensuring the safety and efficiency of both maritime and inland waterway navigation.

Additional Functions of the VTS Centres
In addition to providing traditional Vessel Traffic Services—such as Information Service (INS), Traffic Organization Service (TOS), and Navigational Assistance Service (NAS)—the Argentine Coast Guard’s VTS Centres also:
– continuously monitor maritime areas under national jurisdiction, including the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), to contribute to the prevention, detection, and control of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing;
– serve as the initial response and coordination point for navigation incidents and marine casualties that may result in pollution of the marine environment;
operate as Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) Centres or Sub-Centres, coordinating response actions and the deployment of resources to assist persons and vessels in distress;
– provide Telemedical Maritime Assistance Services (TMAS) and coordinate medical evacuations whenever required; and
act as an operational liaison with national authorities, foreign maritime administrations, port authorities, pilots, tug operators, and other stakeholders involved in maritime and inland waterway activities.
Institutional Development and International Cooperation
As part of its commitment to continuous improvement and compliance with international standards, the Argentine Coast Guard promotes specialized education and training programmes for its personnel as well as for members of foreign maritime administrations.
The Institution also continuously incorporates advances in communications, surveillance, and traffic management technologies while conducting systematic assessments and internal audits of its Vessel Traffic Services in order to improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the services provided.
This institutional policy has fostered a strategy of international cooperation and regional integration, enabling the Argentine Coast Guard to provide technical assistance, consultancy services, and specialized training to other maritime administrations in the design, implementation, and modernization of Vessel Traffic Services. It also supports IMO Member States through technical cooperation activities related to the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS).