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Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia On January 14, 2009, the U.S. and other nations created the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolu- tion 1851. This contact group is an ad hoc international body that brings together multiple strands of expertise at the governmental and intergovernmental level. The contact group is comprised of five working groups: Best management practices. Photo courtesy of Shipboard Defense Systems Inc. Eventually the team was joined by the Overseas Secu- rity Advisory Council, U.S. Agency for International Development, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, as well as combatant commanders representing Afri- can Command, Transportation Command, and Cen- tral Command. The addition of these vital stakehold- ers meant all of the government entities with equities in countering piracy were all talking to each other at least once a week. The next step was to get input from industry; engag- ing the maritime industry was a vital focus for U.S. government anti-piracy efforts. Finally, as an ongoing effort to ensure the safety and security of mariners everywhere, the interagency continues to discuss adoption of best management practices as an international standard. Until piracy is no longer a threat to mariners, the interagency will continue to work together to identify the best course of action. About the author: 0U 0LFKDHO &DOODKDQ; LV D SURJUDP DQDO\VW IRU WKH 2IÀFH RI (PHUJ- ing Policy at U.S. Coast Guard headquarters. He is a retired com- mander with an extensive background spanning 29 years in Coast Guard operations, including command of Coast Guard ships. In his current assignment, he coordinates with interagency partners to develop and publish national strategy and policy documents. Endnote: 1. 7KH 8 6 ÁDJ YHVVHO Liberty Sun was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia on April 14, 2009. The vessel was hit by four rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons. There were no injuries. Information is provided by MARAD on its website at www.marad.dot.gov. ♗ Working Group 1: Military and Operational Coor- dination, Information Sharing, and Capacity Build- ing is chaired by the United Kingdom and focuses on force generation, operational coordination, and capacity-building. ♗ Working Group 2: Judicial Issues, chaired by Denmark, focuses on judicial mechanisms for deterring piracy. ♗ Working Group 3: Strengthening Shipping Self- Awareness and Other Capabilities. Co-chairs United States Coast Guard and Maritime Adminis- tration work closely with the commercial shipping industry to enhance awareness and improve capa- bilities. ♗ Working Group 4: Public Information, chaired by Egypt, publicizes pirate damage. ♗ Working Group 5: Disrupting the Pirate Enterprise Ashore, chaired by Italy, focuses on pirate networks and financial information associated with piracy. www.uscg.mil/proceedings Spring 2012 Proceedings 37