IMO - Piracy: Orchestrating the Response

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) during the Sub-Committee on Standards of Training and Watchkeeping (STW 42), held a workshop entitled "Piracy: Orchestrating the response”: Workshop on piracy, on 26 January. A Speech by Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, the Secretary-General of IMO, was given in which he stated the workshop was to "kick start the action plan to keep piracy at bay."

He gave some statistics, which he said "make very unpleasant reading" as follows:

• In 2010, 253 ships were attacked by pirates resulting in 61 ships hijacked and 1072 seafarers taken hostage; 

• To date, 30 ships and 730 seafarers are in the hands of pirates, of which 7 ships, totalling 109 seafarers, were hijacked since the beginning of the year.

The statistics most regularly quoted for 2010 are those from the International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB PRC). Using the statistics from IMB would most likely have delivered more unpleasantness than those the Secretary General mentioned, but it would indicate more lucidly the impact on the seafarer in these dangerous waters around the world. The IMB statistics, available in their annual report (free but a donation is welcomed), are as follows:

• In 2010, 445 attacks were reported, up 10% from 2009;
• In 2010, 53 ships were hijacked;
• In 2010, 1181 hostages were captured by pirates - 8 were killed;
• To date (29 January IMB), 33 ships and 758 seafarers are held by Somali pirates, showing 7 ships and 148 seafarers were taken in 2011.

Those statistics are quite hard-hitting. The IMB has gathered such data for some time now. The IMO stats could have been cross-referenced to ensure an accurate picture is delivered to the maritime community. However, the main point here is that the plight of the seafarer has not improved, hence the workshop and as the Secretary general said, "...very much with seafarers, and those who sail in piracy-affected areas in mind that the IMO Council decided that this year’s World Maritime Day theme should be “Piracy: orchestrating the response”.

The fact the IMO has been dealing with piracy issues for over 30 years - 80's Gulf of Guinea; 90's and early 00's South China Sea, Malacca Straits and Singapore, and the more recent, high profile, Horn of Africa/Indian Ocean - arms them with experience in reducing the effect of piracy. But to use that experience gained and the successes achieved "...requires an orchestrated and coordinated response."

So, with that said, the Secretary General  stated the IMO's position.  Extracting from his speech, the IMO has "developed, in co-operation with the shipping industry, seafaring representative organizations and other stakeholders, an action plan to maintain and, indeed, strengthen our focus on anti-piracy endeavours of all kinds and to facilitate a broader, global effort. We have identified six prime objectives that we hope all stakeholders will espouse  and take action on during 2011 and beyond, if necessary. They are:

• one: to increase pressure at the political level to secure the release of all hostages being held by pirates;
• two: to review and improve the IMO guidelines to Administrations and seafarers and promote compliance with industry best management practices and the recommended preventive, evasive and defensive measures ships should follow;
• three: to promote greater levels of support from, and coordination with, navies;
• four: to promote anti-piracy coordination and co-operation procedures between and among States, regions, organizations and industry;
• five: to assist States to build capacity in piracy-infested regions of the world, and elsewhere, to deter, interdict and bring to justice those who commit acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships; and
• six: to provide care, during the post-traumatic period, for those attacked or hijacked by pirates and for their families.

In clarifying the IMO's position, the Secretary General pointed out that a solution to the Somali problem needed engagement at the political level. It is "...a matter for the United Nations to pursue and neither IMO nor the maritime community have any substantive role to play in it."

Calling "...the world’s attention to the unacceptable plight of the innocent victims of pirates...", the IMO "intend to promote further co-operation between and among States, regions and organizations in reducing the risk of attacks on ships through information-sharing; coordination of military and civil efforts; and development and implementation of regional initiatives, such as the IMO-led Djibouti Code of Conduct."  There should be no respite in their efforts whilst at the same time "promoting even greater levels of coordination among navies, above and beyond the unprecedented degree of co-operation that has already characterized the international naval response."
In the case of Somalia, the IMO seeks to contribute, including "the potential development of a coastal monitoring and law-enforcement force," and will " work with Governments and the industry to ensure that released seafarers and their families receive care during the post-traumatic period."
The Sec gen went on to mention the work of the UN Contact Group for Piracy off the coast of Somalia; the Djibouti Code of Conduct efforts in establishing information-sharing centres in Yemen, Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania, as well as a regional training centre in Djibouti. However, in view of the bleak statistics, mentioned above, the IMO are neither proud of, nor content with, the results achieved so far, and subsequently, this year, are resolved to redouble their efforts and, in so doing, generate a broader, global response to modern-day piracy. More needs to be done, by them and others.

If only sharing such information was more widely publicised. There has not been much in the press, either paper, digital (social media) or television.

People are using social media to speak their mind, state their position, express opinion, raise awareness; you name it, they are willing to say something about it. Look at the recent events in Tunisia, Algeria and Eqypt...even the U.S. State department issued guidance via social media, reaching more than just a televison broadcast ever could. This is information-sharing; this is another powerful forum the IMO and other authorities and organisations can utilise to get their message across in support of the seafarers. Make it so!

Full speech available here; courtesy of IMO.org