Proceedings Of The Marine

SPR 2012

Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.

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The International Maritime Organization Orchestrating the maritime response. by MS. TRACY PEVERETT Head of Maritime Security International Maritime Organization Piracy is a worldwide issue, but it is the deteriorating security situation in the seas off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden and in the increasingly volatile wider Indian Ocean that is of particular concern. The eventual solution to piracy may lie in restoring effective gov- ernance in Somalia. But, until then, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has taken a stalwart role in coordinating efforts to alleviate the problem from the maritime perspective. Piracy is, of course, too complex and has become too entrenched for any one entity to deal with it effec- tively. The United Nations, various governments, military forces, shipping companies, ship operators and ships' crews have all joined together to support a crucial mission that aims to rid shipping of this crime. IMO's Action Plan The IMO has devised a multi-faceted action plan to proactively address piracy at several levels. This plan draws heavily on the organization's considerable experience in countering piracy in other parts of the world, most notably the straits of Malacca, Singapore, and the South China Sea. IMO's action plan has six major objectives: ➥ to increase pressure at the political level to secure the release of all pirate hostages; ➥ to review and improve the IMO guidelines to administrations and seafarers and promote com- pliance with industry best management practices and the recommended preventive, evasive, and defensive measures for ships; 12 Proceedings Spring 2012 ➥ to promote greater levels of support from and coordination with navies; ➥ to promote anti-piracy coordination and coopera- tion procedures among industry, states, regions, and organizations; ➥ to assist states to build capacity in piracy-infested regions of the world and elsewhere to deter, inter- dict, and bring to justice those who commit acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships; ➥ to provide care for those attacked or hijacked by pirates and for their families. A key element of the work of the organization is facil- itating discussions among industry, member states, security forces, and other U.N. agencies with an inter- est in piracy and other maritime-security issues, as is developing mandatory instruments and guidance. The IMO works to create solutions in consultation with representatives of governments; through the London diplomatic community; with other U.N. RUJDQL]DWLRQV LQFOXGLQJ WKH 8QLWHG 1DWLRQV 2IÀFH RQ Drugs and Crime and the World Food Programme; naval and military personnel; the shipping industry; seafarers; other concerned entities; and individuals. Developing Regulations and Guidance The action plan emphasizes improving IMO guide- lines promoting compliance by recommending pre- ventive, evasive, and defensive measures. The IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) continues to stress the importance of self-protection as a deterrent to suc- cessful pirate attacks. www.uscg.mil/proceedings Background

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