The Emirates has stressed its full support to develop the capacity of Somali national forces, especially its coast guard following the end of the transitional period in August with the aim of countering piracy off the coast of Somalia.
Abdulkhaleq Bin Dhaaer Al Yafei, minister plenipotentiary, Permanent Mission of the UAE to the United Nations announced this on Wednesday before the 12th Plenary Meeting of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia at the UN headquarters in New York.
Following is the full speech of Al Yafei: Mr President, I would first like to express on behalf of the UAE our thanks to Spain for chairing this 12th Plenary Session of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. As the 11th chair of this important group, the UAE is aware of the significance of this undertaking and the efforts that go into it.
Two thousand and twelve has been a year of great opportunity for the international community’s collective response to piracy off the coast of Somalia. High-level international commitment to achieving a lasting solution to the piracy problem has been repeatedly demonstrated as leaders from government and industry have come together in meetings in London, Istanbul, Dubai, and this month in Perth, to seek ways to enhance the collective response.
At sea, the robust and admirable international counter-piracy naval operations and private maritime sector’s increasing development of self-protection measures has significantly reduced pirate attack and the success of attempted hijack.
On land, sustained international engagement and the continued efforts of Somali and AMISOM forces on the ground has led to progress in the security situation in Somalia and facilitated political progress in the country that was hardly imagined in the previous years.
In this respect the signature of the Dubai Declaration between President Sharif of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, and President Silanyo of Somaliland, on the sidelines of the UAE’s second high-level public-private counter-piracy conference last month, opening the door for potential reconciliation and a comprehensive agreement on Somalia’s political future is testament to this new era.
This comprehensive progress has been translated into the figures: This month, the International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre reported a dramatic 54 per cent decrease in incidents of piracy off the Coast of Somalia from 2011 to 2012 year by year.
This progress should be the cause for optimism for the future for all parties: The international effort will overcome the global threat posed by maritime piracy.
The UAE’s second public-private counter-piracy conference, held under the title “A Regional Response to Maritime Piracy: Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships and Strengthening Global Engagement” was part of this comprehensive international effort.
The conference was an opportunity for high-level delegates from government and the global maritime industry to reflect on the progress made. But it also presented an opportunity for the international community to look to the challenges ahead.
In this respect, the UAE conference gained consensus on two key areas for the international effort to focus, First: the international community must provide sufficient support to ensure that states in the piracy-affected region have the capacity to mount viable national counter-piracy challenges. This support must begin with Somalia so that the Somali authorities can enforce maritime safety and security in its territorial waters.
In this regard, the UAE joined Somalia to emphasise the need to develop Somali national coast guard.
At the conference, the UAE announced its intention to provide comprehensive support to establish this crucial national force, including boats, stations and other equipment, and financial resources, following the August end of the transition. We commend also the initiative of the European Union towards maritime capacity-building for Somalia and its intentions to include regional states in this regard.
The Dubai Conference presented an opportunity to provide political support for the work of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, particularly Working Group 1 and the Contact Group Trust Fund in this key area of regional capacity-building.
The conference’s final statement endorsed the UAE’s proposal to enhance the activity and the profile of the Trust Fund of the Contact Group by making it a central focal point for funds directed towards regional maritime security capacity building projects to counter piracy off the coast of Somalia.
Toward this end, the UAE announced a new financial commitment to the Trust Fund of $1million to be used in support of this key area.
Source: The Gulf Today
