Gulf of Guinea: UN official urges stronger action to address piracy

A senior UN official, Martha pobee has called on countries and their international partners to accelerate efforts to counter the singular threat of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

pobee, an Assistant Secretary-general in the Department of political and peace building Affairs (Dppa) made the appeal while briefing the Security Council at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

presenting the Secretarygeneral’s latest report on the issue, pobee warned of a shifting situation that would require greater response.

According to her, the decline in incidents is the result of concerted efforts by national authorities, supported by regional and international partners, both on land and at sea.

Actions such as increased patrols, deployment of naval assets, enhanced coordination, as well as convictions, have served as deterrents to criminal activity.

however, she said piracy in the Gulf of Guinea had morphed over this period.

“pirate groups are adapting to changing dynamics both at sea and in coastal areas,” she said. In this respect, the recent decrease in instances of piracy may in part be attributable to the shift by criminal networks to other forms of maritime and riverine crime, such as oil bunkering and theft, which they likely view as both less risky and more profitable”.

She stressed that it was imperative for States and their regional and international partners to accelerate efforts to establish security in the Gulf of Guinea, as outlined in the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, signed in June 2013.

pobee pointed to some of the achievements since then, such as the recent signing of an agreement to establish a Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) for a zone that covers Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea-bissau, Mali and Senegal.

A maritime exercise involving 17 of the 19 countries that border the Gulf of Guinea, as well as eight international partners, was also conducted last in October over an area stretching from Senegal to Angola.

She also underscored the UN’S continued political and technical assistance to States, including through agencies such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

“At present, there is no firm evidence to suggest any potential or possible linkages between terrorist and pirate groups,” she told the Council.

“however, addressing the underlying social, economic, and environmental challenges faced by communities in the region will ultimately serve to contain both threats.”

pobee said the UN is also strengthening collaboration with international financial institutions to support countries in addressing the underlying causes of fragility and security.(nan)