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MARITIME ORGANISATION OF WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA (MOWCA) Sub-Regional Sectoral Integration - for cost effective maritime/transit transport services, high on safety, security, low on pollution |
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STRATEGY OF MOWCA SUB-REGION IN SUPPRESSING PIRACY, ARMED ROBBERY AND OTHER UNLAWFUL ACTS AGAINST SHIPPING, RESPONDING TO MARITIME ACCIDENTS AND PROTECTING THE MARINE ENVIRONMENTSUMMARY: INTRODUCTION The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has expressed serious concern about the rising trend of piracy, armed robbery and other unlawful acts against shipping in various sub-regions of the world. The International Maritime Bureau reports that, 325 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against merchant shipping took place in 2004 with 30 seafarers murdered in the process. In a paper to the 80th session of the Maritime Safety Committee of IMO, the United Kingdom drew attention to this problem by stating that piracy and armed robbery has affected the UK seafarers and ships in all parts of the world from the islands of the Caribbean to the coast of Africa and on the important trade route through the Malacca Strait. In the West and Central African sub-region, piracy, armed robbery and other criminal activities against shipping is assuming dangerous dimension posing serious problems to shipping, and particularly acting as a hindrance to the development of coastal shipping service in the sub-region. In 2003, 67 cases of acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported off the coast of West Africa. In 2004, 58 cases were reported. Civil strife in a number of countries in the sub-region and the attendant proliferation of small arms has made crucial the need for action to save merchant shipping in the sub-region. On Maritime Safety, a number of maritime accidents in the coastal waters and inland waterways have claimed avoidable significant casualties due to defective Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts. The sinking in 2003 of the passenger vessel, MV Joola off the coast of Senegal resulted in a massive loss of 1,800 lives. Aviation disasters involving Kenyan Airways off the coast of Abidjan (2002), and a Lebanese Chartered Flight off the coast of Cotonou (2004), exposed the lack of an effective sub-regional response to maritime disasters. Marine pollution from hydrocarbon activities and the discharge of waste water from ships constitute a serious threat to marine ecosystems. Furthermore, illegal and indiscriminate fishing and other exploitation of marine resources threatens the aquatic ecosystem and economy of coastal States in the sub-region. Indeed like other developing sub-regions of the world, the history of Maritime Safety, Security and Environmental Protection profile of the West and Central African Sub-region is replete with incidents and accidents that have exposed the inadequacy of response capability in the sub-region. There was clearly the need for an enduring institutional framework for tackling these major threats to merchant shipping in the West and Central African sub-region; viz: piracy, armed robbery and other unlawful acts against shipping, defective response to maritime accidents and marine-source pollution RESPONSE OF MOWCA MEMBER STATES In response to these serious Maritime Safety, Security and Environmental Protection challenges facing the sub-region of West and Central Africa, the 11th General Assembly of Ministers of MOWCA held in June 2001, in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria, approved a proposal to establish an Integrated Sub-regional Coast Guard network for the entire MOWCA sub-region from Mauritania to Angola. In approving the proposal, the MOWCA member states appreciated the fact that a number of member States, through their respective Naval Commands, Marine Police and Merchant Marine Administrations, perform Coast Guard duties. However these activities are not co-ordinated for a regional response in case of crises transcending national boundaries. In the absence of a sub-regional agreement on the right of hot-pursuit across national boundaries, the sub-region lacks an effective means to pursue and interdict pirates and armed robbers involved in the act. The Sub-regional Coast Guard Network is envisaged as a Sub-regional Network of National Coastguard Organizations coordinated by four (4) MOWCA Zonal Coastguard Centres and a Principal Coastguard Centre, to implement International conventions, codes and regulations regarding the suppression of seaborne terrorism, respond to maritime accidents, combat piracy, armed robbery and other unlawful acts against shipping, while generally enhancing safety, security, and environmental protection. Through regular policing of the coastal waters of the sub-region, the MOWCA Integrated sub-regional coast guard network, is aimed at generating economies of scale in providing the West and Central African sub-region with a cost-effective, rapid response mechanism in cases of unlawful acts against ships (including fishing vessels), maritime accidents, environmental pollution and other distress calls in the Sub-region’s coastal waters. Based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to be adopted by the MOWCA Member States, the coastguard resources, both human and equipment, of each of the member States in a zone would be assessed, harmonized and made ready to respond to emergencies requested by any member State. In this respect, the project would include joint contingency plans and mock exercises. The MOU would include a sub-regional agreement on the right of hot-pursuit across national boundaries, as an effective means to pursue and interdict pirates and armed robbers involved in the act. The Project has the support of MOWCA Member States through resolutions at the General Assembly of Ministers of MOWCA. It has the support of IMO in the conduct of an assessment and evaluation study as well as Development Partners for training and logistics support. . PROJECT STATUS The MOWCA Sub-regional Coast Guard Project was reviewed at the 2nd and 3rd sessions of the Bureau of Ministers of MOWCA, in May 2002 and 2003; In March 2003, a meeting to promote sub-regional co-operation and co-ordination for combating piracy and armed robbery against ships was organized by IMO/Republic of Ghana in collaboration with MOWCA, in Accra, from 17 to 19 March 2003. The meeting inter-alia:
At the 12th General Assembly of Ministers of MOWCA, held in Luanda, Angola, 27-30 October 2003, the Ministers reviewed the recommendations of the IMO/MOWCA meeting held in Accra and requested its Secretary-General to continue with efforts to seek full support of the IMO and Development Partners for the project. A report of the above mentioned IMO/MOWCA meeting was submitted to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of IMO, at its 78th Session held in May, 2004. The MSC recommended the MOWCA Coast guard project for support by IMO. The Council of the IMO approved the recommendations of the MSC at its meeting held in June 2004. In particular, the IMO agreed to provide technical assistance for carrying out a feasibility study on the proposed integrated Coast Guard Network and submit it to the MOWCA Working Group. The Terms of Reference for the Study is attached as appendix 2. In October 2004, the Secretary-General of MOWCA convened in Abidjan, the Republic of Cote D’Ivoire, a MOWCA Working Group of Experts which, among others, considered and made recommendations for advancing the Coast Guard project. The recommendations of the Working Group were submitted to the 4th Session of the Bureau of Ministers of MOWCA, held in Luanda, Republic of Angola, 22-24 March, 2005. The 4th Bureau of Ministers agreed to divide the sub-region into four Coastguard Zones to ensure that not more than five coastal member States are in a Coastguard Zone in order to ensure a more effective zonal coordination. The Recommended Coastguard Zones/Centres are: Zone I: Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde The Principal Coordinating Centre is yet to be confirmed by the MOWCA Bureau of Ministers The 4th Bureau also approved the Secretary-General’s report on development of cooperation with Development Partners on the implementation of the sub-regional Coast Guard network. The Bureau expressed its deep gratitude to the Republic of Korea, under the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for confirming its assistance to MOWCA in its 2005 Cooperation programme meant for the implementation of the network. These comprise the provision of vehicles to MOWCA’s Coastguard Coordinating Centres and a Training Tour of Korea by a team of 35 MOWCA experts 25 April – 10 May 2005. The Training Tour of the Republic of Korea was designed to share Korea’s developmental experience in the area of seaport and coast guard management. It involves lectures and field trips to Korean seaports and coast guard operational sites. Development of cooperation with MOWCA’s Development Partners is on-going. FUTURE WORK The political will of member States of MOWCA to establish an Integrated sub-regional Coast Guard network, has already been expressed through Decisions/Resolutions at the General Assemblies of Ministers of MOWCA Member States held in Abuja, Nigeria, May 2001 and Luanda, Angola October, 2003. On-going work involves the following:
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