The following is the speech by President James A. Michel at the opening of the high-level meeting on piracy themed ‘Orchestrating a response’ which took place yesterday at the Le Meridien Barbarons Hotel.

Excellencies,

Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Seychelles is proud to welcome you all to this special conference on orchestrating the response to piracy. Following the first regional conference on piracy that we organised last year, it is clear that it is important to regularly bring all the key partners together to share ideas and experiences. We thank the South Asia and Africa Regional Ports Stability Cooperative (SAARPSCO) for their support and cooperation to make this conference possible.

At the start of our conference, I am pleased to note that improved coordination among partners, a more robust approach at sea and more resources committed have improved the overall response to piracy.

The combined efforts of so many international partners are having a positive impact, and we are getting closer to a model that can allow us to tackle this scourge in the long term. But we cannot afford to be complacent. Piracy operators have already shown a great ability to adapt and exploit any weaknesses.

More than most crimes, piracy has already exposed many of the loopholes of international law. It has exposed the lack of mechanisms to implement this law. It has exposed the inability of the international community to govern the sea effectively.

For too long, it has been convenient for many of us to view the ocean as being part of another realm, unbound by the same importance that many states give to the protection of their land borders.

In our conference, we will be discussing many of the specific measures we need to take to tackle piracy, but I ask all of us to also reflect on how globally we must strengthen the governance of our oceans.
We must claim back our seas!
We must strengthen our ability to ensure that we can harness the power of our oceans, of the blue economy, for true sustainable development.
For the coastal states of our region, it is essential for our survival.
Not only to tackle piracy, but to better prepare ourselves to fight related crimes of drug trafficking, people trafficking, marine pollution and illegal fishing.
Speaking as the smallest African nation, we must also as Africans work harder to better protect this fantastic resource -- our oceans.
For too long, many states of this region have reneged on our responsibilities to protect and sustain this ocean. We need the help of many other countries and organisations, but we must as sovereign nations, also be prepared to take on this responsibility.

We are very pleased to be able to have the International Maritime Organisation present with us, as it is essential that we all work together to better implement the rules and procedures that they provide us and that can help us in this process.

As we join our efforts to strengthen the governance of our oceans, there are a number of specific questions that we shall tackle in the context of piracy.

Firstly, the importance of shared surveillance, patrols and exchange of information cannot be over-emphasised. The Indian Ocean is a vast expanse of ocean that no single state can ever protect on its own. Many coastal states lack the capacity for large scale and remote surveillance and we welcome the efforts of our partners, both bilaterally and multilaterally, who are active in helping to patrol our seas. It is clear that we must also build capacity in the medium term for coastal states to be more active partners in surveillance of their waters.

Secondly, one of the most pressing concerns in dealing with piracy has been the legal means to tackle this crime effectively. The lack of appropriate courts and prisons has meant that too often pirates that have been captured have then been released.

For many states of the region, prosecuting and imprisoning pirates are a huge burden. But we cannot get away from the fact that a crime has been committed. We must work together to find a solution so that those responsible pay for their crimes.

In Seychelles, we are grateful to the support of UNODC and the donor countries to be able to construct a new wing of our prison, while also supporting the prosecution services. With thousands of pirates in operation however, it is clear that there is not enough prison capacity in this region to deal with this problem.

To overcome this, Seychelles has recently signed groundbreaking prisoner transfer agreements with Somali authorities, whereby pirates convicted in Seychelles may be transferred to Somalia to serve their sentences.

I take this opportunity to thank the Somali leadership in the Transitional Federal Government, Puntland and other regions of Somalia for working hard to make this model possible and we look forward to the first transfers in the near future.

We warmly welcome the Security Council Resolution 1976 which outlines many of the options for fighting maritime piracy, including several possibilities for prosecutions, and all are welcome. It is clear however, that the fight against piracy starts on the land.

From our experience so far, the model outlined above allows capacity building in Somalia while also being cost effective and realistic.

Mesdames et Messieurs,

Je voudrais saisir également cette occasion pour saluer les efforts déployés par le Gouvernement mauricien pour conclure des accords avec l'Union Européenne pour le transfert et la poursuite des pirates.

En tant qu’entité régionale, il est impératif que nous fédérons nos efforts pour assurer que la piraterie, partout où il peut se manifeste, ne reste pas impuni.

Les Seychelles se sont dépensées pour obtenir de l'aide régionale relativement à cette question et nous sommes heureux que la première phase du Projet anti-piraterie de la COMESA commence à décoller.

Nous sommes aussi heureux que la Commission de l'Océan Indien prenne les commandes dans ce projet pour s'assurer que nos océans nous soient restitués, afin qu’ils deviennent des autoroutes pour le développement, et non les autoroutes de la criminalité.

La Commission de l'Océan Indien a la capacité d'être un ardent défenseur du développement de l'économie bleue et des questions intéressant nos iles. Ce faisant, il est important que nous continuions à renforcer les capacités de cette institution régionale dans le cadre du développement de notre région.

La piraterie représente aujourd’hui l'un des plus grands obstacles à la croissance de nos îles, et l'un des grands facteurs contribuant à notre isolement. En conjuguant nos efforts pour résoudre ce problème, nous renforçons par la même occasion notre capacité à agir ensemble sur d'autres sujets d’intérêt commun.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Tackling the financing of piracy is a third very important component of our efforts in this conference. In all major transnational crime networks, the key to disabling them is to stop the flow of funds at the source. Most of the funding for piracy originates outside of Somalia; in the same way that most of the profits from piracy are taken out of Somalia.

We must build on the already strong law enforcement networks that have been built to fight money laundering and trace the funds that finance terrorism. We must also be prepared to be innovative and allow regional mechanisms that go beyond national jurisdictions to seize proceeds of crime.

We must also make it clear that ransom payments merely perpetuate the piracy business model.

I am also very pleased that the private sector has a key role to play in this conference. Governments and business stakeholders have to cooperate closely to ensure that measures adopted are both feasible and sustainable.

It is clear that the current situation poses a long-term threat not only to shipping and fishing, but also to the dream of more trade and exchanges in our region. There is so much potential in our region which remains untapped.

Ladies and gentlemen,

A conference on piracy cannot also ignore the situation in Somalia itself. The only long-term solution lies in creating the right conditions for stable governance throughout the Horn of Africa.

I warmly welcome the representatives from Somalia who are with us, and who are putting all their efforts into achieving this. I also convey to you our solidarity as this region goes through a terrible famine, brought about by one of the worst droughts of a generation.

The prospects for peace and stability of Somalia depend on a sustained effort not only within Somalia, but from the region and from the world. Seychelles is prepared to work with all international and regional partners as part of this effort, as well as bilaterally to share knowledge and experiences.

We also keep in mind that the same conditions that have led piracy to develop in Somalia, could also lead it to develop elsewhere, and we follow with concern the increased incidences occurring in West Africa.

Ladies and gentlemen,

For every Seychellois, our sea is something special. Piracy has forced us to change, to adapt into how we interact with our ocean.

I am proud of the resilience we have shown to a challenge which emerged completely out of the blue. Allow me to take a moment to pay tribute to those Seychellois who showed such bravery during their ordeals as hostages. We admire also the courage of their families that offered support throughout.

I also salute the efforts of our Coastguards, many of our men and women who have had to face exchanges of fire at sea for the first time, and have responded with courage and valour. And we cannot forget the hard work of Police force and members of our justice system who have ensured that there is proper justice offered where the crime of piracy has occurred.

And we must also think of the fisher-folk and seamen whose livelihoods are challenged fundamentally.

Despite its limitations in size and capacity, Seychelles has stood up as a guardian for its ocean. We believe that we must all work together to try and further improve the protection we can offer.
Protection for the ocean, and the people who depend on it.
I thank you for your attention.

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