Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia - Seychelles to remain chair for another year |12 July 2016
Members attending the 19th Plenary of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), proposed at the closing of the event that Seychelles should remain as chair of the contact group for the year 2017.
This would commence as from January 1, 2017.
Seychelles was proposed as chair for the year 2016 by the European Union, this at the 18th Plenary held in New York City, in July 2015. At this recently ended 19th Plenary held in Seychelles, several countries, notably Italy, Norway, India, China, UK, Australia, Germany and Kenya, made representations that Seychelles should remain as chair.
Noting the theme of the Chair, ‘From the Region to the Region: Creating a Lasting Legacy’, all members present commended the work of the Seychelles government to date and that of the Chair, Minister Joël Morgan, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport, while as well encouraging more regional involvement and engagement.
The 19th CGPCS Plenary which started on May 31, 2016 concluded in the early evening of June 3, 2016, with members agreeing that the next plenary, to be held sometime in 2017 at a location yet to be decided, would consider different proposals to streamline its approach, considering that at the time of the 19th Plenary, piracy continued to be degraded and that no successful attacks by pirates had been recorded, this for a number of years.
There was agreement as well that the work and brand name of the CGPCS must be preserved. Members agreed that the industry must continue to abide by BMP4 within the High Risk Area, HRA, even as it was observed that certain ships were not observing those best management practices within the HRA.
Members as well noted a report received recently that one of the hostages still held by Somali pirates, had escaped and was safely in the custody of Somali authorities receiving care. The Plenary took further note that while there had been no successful pirate attacks to date, there still were 42 persons being held hostage by pirate gangs, and that efforts to secure their earliest release possible should continue.
Attending the meeting were delegates from the United States of America, France, People’s Republic of China, India, Pakistan, Mozambique, the UAE, Mauritius, Madagascar, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the United Kingdom, Greece, Australia, Japan, Norway, Germany, Somali regional states such as Somaliland, Galmudug, Puntland, Jubbaland, joined with Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, Denmark, Marshall Islands, Russia, Korea, Thailand, Spain, Oman, Portugal, Kenya, Philippines, Italy, Egypt and representatives from the AU, UN, NATO, EUNAVFOR, FAO, IMO, COI, IGAD, EUCAP Nestor, EAC, UNODC, CMF, Danish Ship owners Association, Industry and Seafarers Association, Norwegian Ship owners Association, Oceans Beyond Piracy, COMESA, East African Standby Force, INTERPOL, Cardiff University, BIMCO, CRIMARIO.
All Seychellois former hostages, who at one time or another had been held captive by Somali pirates, were also invited by the chairman as special guests.
The deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Mohamed Omar Arte, offered on behalf of his government, his thanks to the people and government of Seychelles, for their efforts and leadership in the fight against piracy.
He added that his government will continue its fight to end piracy, and that efforts must not be spared to provide economic opportunities for the people of Somalia. Illegal fishing and combating those who exploited the natural resources within the EEZ of Somalia remain priorities for his government.
Minister Morgan, in his closing remarks at the end of the Plenary, took a moment to reflect on the recent terror attack in Mogadishu saying, “I would like to take a moment to speak of the callous attacks of terror, which have yet again struck at the very heart of Somalia. I join President James Michel in unequivocal condemnation of the militant group, which has used deadly force to impose a warped ideology on Somalis who have time and again demonstrated their longing for peace. Allow me to reiterate that as a Grouping these attacks only serve to strengthen our resolve to end all forms of insecurity in Somalia. We pray for those that have tragically perished and we pray for Somalia.”
Minister Morgan in his remarks noted the importance of the Blue Economy and that stability and peace in the Indian Ocean were paramount, while commending the work of all members of the Contact Group, remarking that while acts of piracy were indeed down, that there was still much work to do.
Votes of thanks were offered by India, People’s Republic of China, the United States of America, and by the Head of the European Delegation to the Republic of Seychelles, Marjaana Sall, adding her appreciation for the work achieved to date by the CGPCS and the chairing by Seychelles of the contact group. She commended Seychelles for agreeing to remain as chair for another year.