Information-sharing network proposed to fight piracy

The development of a regional information-sharing network, based on existing national maritime information sharing centres, has been mooted as a possible intervention to deal with piracy and armed robbery against ships in the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.

This comes after 46 participants from 18 countries – including South Africa  – took part in a virtual meeting last week to discuss the implementation of the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC) amid the global pandemic.

The DCoC is a key tool in the fight against piracy.

Other propositions called for better coordination of capacity-building efforts, based on regional needs and priorities.