TREATIES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTS SERIES 08-320 

________________________________________________________________________ 

MARITIME INTERDICTION 

 Agreement between the 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

and PALAU 

Effected by Exchange of Notes at 

Koror and Melekeok 

March 5 and 20, 2008 
 NOTE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

 Pursuant to Public Law 89—497, approved July 8, 1966 

(80 Stat. 271; 1 U.S.C. 113)—

“. . .the Treaties and Other International Acts Series issued 

under the authority of the Secretary of State shall be competent 

 evidence . . . of the treaties, international agreements other than 

treaties, and proclamations by the President of such treaties and 

international agreements other than treaties, as the case may be, 

therein contained, in all the courts of law and equity and of maritime 

jurisdiction, and in all the tribunals and public offices of the 

United States, and of the several States, without any further proof 

or authentication thereof.” 
PALAU 

Maritime Interdiction 

Agreement effected by exchange of notes at 

 Koror and Melekeok March 5 and 20, 2008; 

 Entered into force March 20, 2008. 
Note No. 0014/2008

The Embassy of the United States of America in Koror presents its

compliments to the Ministry of State of the Republic of Palau and, recalling the

success of recent multi-national marine surveillance operations focusing upon

detecting illicit activity at sea, such as fisheries offenses, illicit drug trafficking,

and illegal migration, has the honor to propose a cooperative shiprider

agreement to support ongoing regional maritime security efforts consisting of the

following provisions:

1.Armed and uniformed officers of the Division of Marine Law

Enforcement hereafter, "the embarked officers" may be embarked in selected

United States Coast Guard law enforcement vessels or aircraft. When

embarked, the United States Coast Guard shall facilitate regular communications

between the embarked officers and their headquarters in the Republic of Palau,

and shall provide messing and quarters for the embarked officers aboard United

States Coast Guard vessels in a manner consistent with the United Sates Coast

Guard personnel of the same rank.

2. The embarked officers shall be empowered to grant United States

Coast Guard vessels and aircraft, on behalf of the Government of the Republic

of Palau, authority to:

a. enter the Republic of Palau's territorial sea to assist the

embarked officers to stop, board, and search vessels

suspected of violating the Republic of Palau's laws or

regulations, assist in arrest of the persons on board and

seizure of contraband and vessels;

b. assist the embarked officers in performing fisheries

surveillance and law enforcement activities in the

Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Palau,

including stopping, inspecting, detaining, directing to port

and seizing fishing vessels in accordance with the national

laws and regulations of the Republic of Palau;

c. stop, board, and search vessels located seaward of any

State's territorial sea and claiming registry or nationality in

the Republic of Palau to assist the embarked officers in

the enforcement of applicable laws and regulations of the

Republic of Palau; and

d. employ reasonable force to stop non-compliant vessels

subject to the jurisdiction of the embarked officers.

OIPLOMATiC NOTE
ERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE COPY

ORIGINAL DOCUMENT

3. The embarked officers may assist United States Coast Guard

personnel in the conduct of any boarding undertaken pursuant to the authority of

the United States, including the right of visit boardings and boardings authorized

by other flag and coastal States, as appropriate.

The Embassy has further the honor to propose that, if acceptable to the

Government of the Republic of Palau, this Note, and the Ministry's Note in reply

to that effect, shall constitute an Agreement between our two Governments,

which shall enter into force upon the date of the Ministry's Note in reply. This

Agreement may be terminated at any time by either of our Governments upon

written notification to the other Government through the diplomatic channel.

Such termination shall take effect thirty days from the date of notification.

Nothing in this Agreement precludes either Government from otherwise agreeing

on operations or other forms of cooperation to suppress illicit transnational

maritime activity, nor does it supersede any bilateral or multilateral agreement or

other cooperative mechanism concluded by either Government.

The Embassy of the United States of America in Koror avails itself of this

opportunity to renew to the Ministry of State the assurance of its highest

consideration.

Embassy of the United States of America

Koror, March 05, 2008

44t.'

1Bezner

Ch Affaires

U.S. Embassy Koror

REpublic of Palau 96940

DIPLOMATIC NOTE
Note No. 006/MSUS/2008

The Ministry of State of the Republic of Palau presents its compliments to the

Embassy of the United States of America in Koror and in reference to the Embassy's

Note No. 0014/2008 regarding Cooperative Ship rider Agreement has the honor to

inform the Embassy that the Government of the Republic of Palau accepts the proposal to

enter into said Agreement with the Government of the United States of America.

The Ministry of State of the Republic of Palau avails itself of this opportunity to

renew to the Embassy of the Untied States of America the assurances of its highest

consideration.

Melekeok, REPUBLIC OF PALAU

20 March 2008

DIP NOTES