UK became the eighteenth Contracting Party to the ReCAAP.
On 2 May 2012, the United Kingdom (UK) became the eighteenth Contracting Party to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).
This cements this Government’s firm commitment to tacking the scourge of piracy across the globe: protecting the trade-routes that are vital to our economy, protecting the livelihoods of seafarers who ply these waterways, and preventing criminals from profiting from piracy.
Though UK is geographically located outside Asia, it has a strong interest in the regional maritime economy and supports fully the ReCAAP aims of enhancing multilateral cooperation among its members. The latest addition to the ReCAAP signifies the growing strength of ReCAAP network and demonstrates the importance of the international cooperation to effectively address the challenges in combating piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia.
UK’s Minister for Africa Mr Henry Bellingham said: “I am delighted that the UK has applied to join ReCAAP. Piracy is a scourge that needs to be tackled and the protection of UK shipping around the globe remains a priority for this government.” The Minister stressed that international cooperation is the most effective way to tackle piracy, as demonstrated by the successes in the fight against piracy off the coast of Somalia, and is confident that the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) will continue to demonstrate its effectiveness in improving security at sea in Asia.
Mr James Hughes has been appointed as the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) Governor for UK. He is currently the Deputy Head (Global Issues), Security Policy Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The National Maritime Information Centre has been designated to be the Focal Point of UK.
Source: ReCAAP
