West African code of conduct on piracy welcomed, but still falls short
THE new code of conduct on piracy from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has been welcomed by the Maritime Asset Security and Training (MAST) organisation.
MAST welcomes and has pledged support for the new code, supported by the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO), but also expressed disappointment that the code does not impose obligations on member states.
The code builds greater awareness of the threat of piracy, but it is not enough to tackle the problem, said MAST chief executive Philip Cable as it does not oblige the armed forces of the member states to abide by it.
This initiative mirrors the 2009 Djibouti Code of Conduct dealing with piracy off the coast of Somalia and Indian Ocean, which 20 states signed. It shares the three principles of sharing information, the arrest and prosecution of those committing acts and care and treatment of the victims of piracy.
Armed forces, unlike commercial security organisations, are permitted to carry arms inside their own territorial waters and within each country's Economic Exclusion Zone which extends 200 miles offshore.
"We believe the most effective way to tackle piracy lies in greater co-operation between national authorities and private security companies, higher standards of training and increased investment in intelligence," said Mr Cable, who said he has worked closely with armed forces and within national laws to fight piracy.
Those private maritime security companies which flaunt national laws and regulations are prosecuted for putting themselves and their clients safety at risk, he said, reported London's TankerOperator.
West Africa waters present a complex legal operating environment. Failure to understand the nature of the threats in West Africa could put ships and lives at risk, he added.
THE new code of conduct on piracy from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has been welcomed by the Maritime Asset Security and Training (MAST) organisation.
MAST welcomes and has pledged support for the new code, supported by the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO), but also expressed disappointment that the code does not impose obligations on member states.
The code builds greater awareness of the threat of piracy, but it is not enough to tackle the problem, said MAST chief executive Philip Cable as it does not oblige the armed forces of the member states to abide by it.
This initiative mirrors the 2009 Djibouti Code of Conduct dealing with piracy off the coast of Somalia and Indian Ocean, which 20 states signed. It shares the three principles of sharing information, the arrest and prosecution of those committing acts and care and treatment of the victims of piracy.
Armed forces, unlike commercial security organisations, are permitted to carry arms inside their own territorial waters and within each country's Economic Exclusion Zone which extends 200 miles offshore.
"We believe the most effective way to tackle piracy lies in greater co-operation between national authorities and private security companies, higher standards of training and increased investment in intelligence," said Mr Cable, who said he has worked closely with armed forces and within national laws to fight piracy.
Those private maritime security companies which flaunt national laws and regulations are prosecuted for putting themselves and their clients safety at risk, he said, reported London's TankerOperator.
West Africa waters present a complex legal operating environment. Failure to understand the nature of the threats in West Africa could put ships and lives at risk, he added.