Call for action over piracy in Somalia

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council, meeting for its 98th session in London, has agreed further action to address the continuing incidence of acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships sailing in waters off the coast of Somalia. The action follows the increasing trend to target ships carrying humanitarian aid to the country.

The Council endorsed the proposal of IMO Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropoulos that United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon be requested to bring the piracy situation off Somalia to the attention of the UN Security Council.

This action would allow the Security Council, in turn, to request the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to take action, as deemed necessary in the circumstances, to prevent and suppress acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships.

The measures would extend a request to naval ships operating in the Indian Ocean to enter Somalia's territorial waters when engaging in operations against pirates or suspected pirates and armed robbers. Focus has recently been bought on the operations in the country's coastal waters concerning the safety of crews on board ships carrying out activities on behalf of the World Food Programme (WFP), transporting humanitarian aid to Somalia or leaving Somali ports having discharged their cargo.

The Council authorised the Secretary-General to take action in accordance with his proposal. "The continuing incidence of acts of piracy and armed robbery in waters off the coast of Somalia is of great concern to IMO Member States, the IMO Secretariat and to me personally," Mitropoulos said.

"In conjunction with other multi-faceted initiatives recently taken by IMO to address the issue effectively, the Council's endorsement of this high-level approach will, I believe, help considerably in alleviating the situation, especially if support and assistance to ships is enhanced," he added.

The continuing instability in Somalia has given rise to renewed attacks on ships and a worrying increase in the number and ferocity of reported incidents - including the recent attacks on ships carrying aid to the country chartered by the WFP.

The number of reported attacks on ships off the coast of Somalia in 2005 prompted the IMO Assembly to adopt a resolution, which first brought the matter to the attention of the UN Security Council.

This action encouraged UN Member States with naval vessels and military aircraft operating in international waters and airspace near Somalia, to be vigilant for any incident of piracy and to take appropriate action to protect merchant shipping against any such act, in line with international law.

Subsequently, there had been a much-welcomed reduction in acts of piracy and armed robbery off Somalia, due, to a large extent, to the support provided by naval assets in the region, as a consequence of IMO's well-established liaison with relevant naval operations' centres.

However, as a result of the renewed rise in attacks on ships in recent months, IMO has recently taken a number of steps, including intensifying its co-ordination mechanism with the WFP and navies operating in the region, with a view to ensuring that the provision of assistance to merchant shipping is maintained and further strengthened.

IMO recently issued a Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) circular warning maritime interests of what continues to be a worrying situation off Somalia, endangering the safety of life at sea in the sea freight and merchant shipping sectors.

The aim of the latest resolution is to push for a renewed call on all concerned to continue their co-operation in combating acts of piracy and armed robbery, and in ensuring the early release of ships and sailors held hostage in the troubled region.

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