The United States will join partners from over 85 countries, international organizations, & the private sector at the United Nations in New York on 1st May, 2013. The Contact Group is a growing diplomatic effort that is taking action against criminal activity that threatens commerce and humanitarian aid deliveries along one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors. On May 2, the Contact Group will hold a symposium, “Creating Economic Opportunities for Somalis,” at the Institute for International Education. The plenary, chaired by the United States, will be the fourteenth gathering of this outstanding international partnership. Since its initial meeting in January 2009, the Contact Group has nearly tripled in size while successful pirate attacks have declined by 75 percent.