Seychelles ready to take chairmanship

Seychelles is now ready to take chairmanship of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia which coordinates efforts to fight against piracy in the region.

This is what Foreign Affairs and Transport Minister Joël Morgan has announced. The declaration follows a workshop on the group’s strategies, actions and operations for the coming years which was held in Victoria during the last two weeks. At the close of the working session at the Reflecs3 (Regional Fusion and Law Enforcement Centre for Safety and Security at Sea) headquarters on Friday, European Union (EU) representative Marcus Houben presented Minister Morgan with the workshop’s report which includes a road map with planning timeline, calendar of activities and budget.

After the United States of America (USA) had been the first partner to head the group’s secretariat, Seychelles will as from January 1, 2016 take over the presidency from the European Union. This comes after its candidacy had been endorsed in July this year.

Minister Morgan has thanked the EU and other partners like the US for the confidence they have put in Seychelles. He has commented that this comes from the fact that Seychelles has been the most active country in the fight against piracy, including the prosecution and incarceration of pirates. The handover, he said, is the result of all the country has been doing over the years, along with international partners, to fight piracy in the Indian Ocean. He added that in the process, Seychelles has been able to build its own capacity at defence, police, judiciary and prison levels and has also helped develop regional capacity as represented by Reflecs3.

Minister Morgan however warned that the threat of piracy is not over and that to it new ones have been added; such as organised crimes which include arms, drug and human trafficking. He stressed that the situation cannot continue as it will affect the maritime industry which is important for the country’s economic development, which he insisted is important to achieve in an atmosphere of peace and stability.

“Peace and security is linked to Seychelles’ own trust in the development of the blue economy. The development of the blue economy depends on maritime security and the capacity to protect ourselves,” Minister Morgan said.

As the mandate of the EU-led Operation Atalanta which maintains the presence of a naval force in the region comes to an end in 2016, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Transport has added that Seychelles wishes to see a post Atlanta strategy put into place. He is confident that as chair of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, Seychelles can influence post 2016 decisions to ensure that the work within the contact group goes on.

Mr Morgan has concluded that Seychelles will ensure that its chairmanship is a meaningful one. For this, he counts on what he has described as “the support of the EU in the responsibility that is being put on the shoulders of little Seychelles”.

“We look forward to taking the challenges of the chairmanship,” he said.

Mr Houben has on his side expressed his “pleasure to have seen the partnership grown”. “The development has been the most rewarding part of the partnership. I hope that it will continue to ensure the security of the Indian Ocean,” he has wished.

The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia was created on January 14, 2009 pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1851. This international forum brings together over 80 countries, organisations, and industry groups with a shared interest in combating piracy.

Chaired in 2013 by the United States of America and in 2014 by the EU, the contact group coordinates political, military, and non-governmental efforts to tackle piracy off the coast of Somalia, ensures that pirates are brought to justice, and supports regional states to develop sustainable maritime security capabilities.

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