Africa, Asia Join Efforts for Anti-Piracy Information Sharing
A meeting in Singapore (11-12 January) has seen African and Asian countries join efforts to promote greater networking and communications across anti-piracy contact points in the two continents.
Speaking at the meeting, International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Head of Maritime Security, Javier Yasnikouski, commended the initiative, saying that the efforts contribute directly to IMO’s work to raise awareness of maritime security issues that have an impact on international trade and the welfare of seafarers; and encourage a co-operative approach amongst IMO Member States and other partner organizations.
The event was organized by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC) and was followed up by a Nautical forum to share ReCAAP-ISC’s analyses of piracy and sea robbery incidents in Asia, and to engage the local shipping industry.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Authority (MMEA), the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG), the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UK-MTO), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Shipping Centre, the Information Sharing Centre and the Police Coastguard of Singapore, and the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC) Information Sharing Centres of Kenya and Yemen.