Regional assistance key to new NATO piracy strategy
Operation Ocean Shield will assist regional states, at their request, in developing their own ability to combat piracy activities.
Operation Ocean Shield, NATO’ s contribution to international efforts to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa, commenced last month after the North Atlantic Council (NAC) approved the mission.
Operation Ocean Shield will in conjunction with other actors and organisations, enhance the security of commercial maritime routes and international navigation off the Horn of Africa. The operation is designed to suppress the incidence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin to an acceptable level of economic impact until the regional states develop and effectively employ sufficient capacity to assume the counter piracy mission from NATO, or the root causes of piracy off the Horn of Africa are eliminated.
While at sea counter piracy operations will continue to be the focus, a new element of regional-state counter piracy capacity building has been developed for Operation Ocean Shield. NATO’s capacity building effort will aim to assist regional states, upon their request, in developing their own ability to combat piracy activities. This element of the operation is designed to complement existing international efforts and will contribute to a lasting maritime security solution off the Horn of Africa.
The NATO Shipping Centre (NSC) will actively engage with the maritime community to promote increased awareness of schemes to improve the security of commercial shipping and encourage the use of onboard anti-piracy measures to defend against possible pirate attack. Information sharing is key to success and the NSC, as an information hub in its communications with the maritime community as well as with other organisations (e.g. Intertanko, Intercargo, BIMCO, IMB, IMO, UN WFP), will establish and maintain a dialogue with these maritime community stakeholders. This will be conducted in close cooperation with the other main military actors in the region such as EU NAVFOR; UK Maritime Trade Organisation (UK MTO, Dubai); Maritime Liaison Office (MARLO, Bahrain) and individual nations. Keeping close liaisons with all organisations and with the maritime community will also enable the NSC to monitor developments and implementation of new initiatives (such as maritime security measures) and provide advice.
The NSC has invited the international shipping community to contact it (Email: info@shipping@nato.int) with any inputs and comments related to the ongoing military counter piracy efforts in the region. This may help the NSC identify new and/or improved initiatives to disrupt piracy. The NSC will ensure all new initiatives will be discussed and coordinated together with the EU, CMF and other military actors in the area.
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