I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

The threat of pirate assaults against merchant ships is still a serious security problem for international shipping in the broader region off the coast of Somalia and parts of the West Indian Ocean, where pirates have attempted to capture ships with the most indicative example being the hijacking of the Greek-flagged supertanker «Maran Centaurus». It is a fact that pirates have upgraded their operational capabilities and the means at their disposal in order to attack ships over a maritime area stretching 1,000 nautical miles east of the Somali coast. Tackling the threat of pirate attacks in this region is therefore a cause for concern to the international community, as self-protection measures have indeed succeeded in moving pirates to the south, but the vast sea environment of the West Indian Ocean renders the provision of efficient protection to passing ships more difficult.    

Pirates mostly attack ships in the region along the northern and eastern coast of Somalia, taking advantage of the lack of sufficient policing of the country's territorial waters, to a large extent due to the prolonged state failure in the country. Restoring normality in the country is a necessary prerequisite in order to do away with the piracy threat and it is no coincidence that the international community prioritises this area through initiatives supported by the IMO and the EU.

Apart from the obvious consequences, i.e., the serious security problem for international shipping, pirate assaults off the coast of Somalia also have a serious economic impact, as they are damaging to all stakeholders in maritime merchant transport and, consequently, to the interests of states with a crucial role in world mercantile shipping . This apart, the lives of crews are put in serious danger, as sailors – including Greeks – are being kidnapped and held hostage until the pirates receive the ransom they demand.

II. INTERNATIONAL REACTION

The UN Security Council approved successive resolutions (1816, 1838, 1846, 1851), thus showing the UN member states’ determination to tackle this threat. Several states (China, Russia, India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore) sent navy forces to the region,  with the US at the helm of “Combined Task Force 151”, which comprises combat units from different countries. The North-Atlantic Alliance also plays a substantial role with its “Operation Ocean Shield”. 

The European Union plays a leading role through the “EU Naval Force Atalanta”, which became operational in December 2008, with a view to protecting passing merchant ships, as well as World Food Program ships carrying food aid to Somalia.  In June 2009, the EU decided to prolong the mandate of the Operation – which was participated in by Greece’s “Psara" and “Nikiforos Fokas” frigates – until December 2010. The Greek frigate “Salamis” has been patrolling the region since December 2009. It should be noted that Commodore Ant. Papaioannou was the Force Commander of EU NAVFOR Atalanta for the first four months of the operation (December 2008 – April 2009).  

The concentration of a significant number of maritime forces in this maritime region highlighted the need for efficient coordination among: i) command structures, ii) Piracy Reporting Centres, such as the UKMTO and the United States’ USMARLO in Bahrain, and iii) the Atalanta Maritime Security Centre-Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) in Northwood. The objective is to provide immediate assistance to ships threatened by a pirate assault, which send distress signals. The precondition for a timely intervention by naval forces operating in the region is for merchant vessels to register their details (category, course) on a special registry of the MSCHOA, in order for the Coordination Center to know their exact location at the time of the attack and thus order the deployment of ATALANTA vessels. The biggest shipowners’ associations (INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, BIMCO, ICS) have drawn up a Best Practice Guide, including recommendations and instructions for ships headed for the region in question, asking them to register in time with the MSCHOA. 

SHADE (Shared Awareness and Deconfliction) is a mechanism that plays a decisive role in the coordination of maritime forces. It constitutes a flexible framework for the exchange of information between military commanders of maritime forces operating off the coast of Somalia. The SHADE’s monthly meetings are participated in by EUNΑVFOR and NATO officials, as well as representatives from Russia, China, India and Japan. SHADE has substantially contributed to the implementation of significant initiatives, such as the establishment of the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) for ships transiting the Gulf of Aden.

Of equal importance is the issue of the prosecution of pirates. There is currently a divergence of views among states, with some supporting the establishment of an international court, a time-consuming and costly option. A more practical and realistic solution put forward is for states to adopt a special legislation (regarding international jurisdiction) that would render the crime of piracy penally punishable. The EU has in any event signed an agreement with Kenya regarding the transfer of pirates arrested on the latter country’s territory in order for them to be prosecuted before a court of law. The United States and the United Kingdom have signed similar agreements with Kenya. It is therefore evident that Kenya is the country that bears the biggest burden with regard to piracy, as a significant number of pirates have flocked there. 

Lately, there is a discussion on the issue of controlling pirates’ illegal financial transactions. Interpol decided to launch a special task force – during a conference held at its General Secretariat’s headquarters in Lyon, France – in order to identify the pirates’ sources of financing and the trails of ransom paid for the liberation of ships.

III. CONTACT GROUP

A Contact Group was set up pursuant to UN Security Council resolution 1851/16.12.2008, following an initiative of the United States (which our country co-presented). It is aimed at coordinating and making the most of existing initiatives to tackle piracy. 

The Group – which is participated in by countries that are significant maritime powers and states with a strong regional role , but also by states that have dispatched naval forces to the maritime region hit by these pirate assaults – met for the first time in New York on 14.1.2009. Our country was among the founding members of the CGPCS.

The Contact Group is dealing with issues regarding i) operational coordination and support for infrastructure security in the region’s countries ii) aspects relating to criminal sanctions for acts of piracy, iii) self-protection for merchant ships, and iv) a communication strategy.

However, its work does not affect the autonomous actions by individual states and the collective efforts under the EU and NATO to address this problem. It works as an unofficial mechanism for an exchange of ideas and proposals, giving the existing 45 member states, international organizations and shipowners’ associations the opportunity to assess the efficiency of resources used to tackle piracy. Following its first plenary meeting in New York, the Group held another three meetings: in Cairo on 17 March 2009, and in New York on 29 May 2009.

On 10 September 2009, the CGPCS had its fourth plenary session. This meeting decided to establish an International Trust Fund to help defray the expenses associated with the prosecution of suspected pirates. Our country will participate in the Trust Fund’s Board and also stated that it will make a financial contribution.

The fifth Plenary Meeting of the CGPCS, which convened in New York on 28 January 2010, entrusted Greece with chairing the Group’s next Plenary Meeting to be held in Greece in May 2010.

Last modified: February 2010