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IMO sec-gen lauds new African piracy code

IMO sec-gen lauds new African piracy code
A new Code of Conduct concerned with piracy prevention in Central and West Africa has been formally adopted by 22 signatory states, drawing praise from IMO secretary-general Koji Sekimizu.

“I am fully committed to assisting western and central African countries to establishing a workable, regional mechanism of co-operation for enhanced maritime security,” said Sekimizu. “Maritime development is an essential component of African development and maritime zone security is fundamentally important.”

Signatories agreed to participate in the prevention of piracy, transnational organized crime in the maritime domain, maritime terrorism and other illegal activities - sharing and reporting relevant information; interdicting suspect vessels; assisting the apprehension and prosecution of pirates; and facilitating proper care, treatment, and repatriation for seafarers and passengers subject to illegal or violent activity at sea.

The code incorporates many elements of the successful Djibouti Code of Conduct, which has been signed by 20 States in the western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden area, and the existing MoU on the integrated coastguard function network in West and Central Africa, which was developed in 2008 by IMO and the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa (MOWCA).

The code was drafted by ECOWAS, ECCAS and the Gulf of Guinea Commission, and endorsed at a ministerial level at a meeting in Benin in March. Yesterday, though, signings in Yaoundé by Ministers of Foreign Affairs or other delegates mean the code is now effective in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe and Togo.

Sekimizu also invited contributions for a new IMO Trust Fund sponsoring of IMO Projects for maritime security for western and central Africa.

The move addresses increasing concern in the industry over West African piracy which according to watchdog the International Maritime Bureau has now overtaken Somalia as the global piracy blackspot.