The participants comprised of the heads of the ReCAAP Focal Points—the designated maritime and/or government agency—from 17 countries. These senior officers spent the first day attending the 9th Nautical Forum—one of ReCAAP ISC’s annual events to dialogue with and engage the shipping community—and visiting the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s Port Operations Control Centre.
They will spend the second day deliberating on the current situation of piracy and sea robbery in Asia and discuss how best to harness collective efforts to respond to the evolving threats and emerging challenges in the landscape.
At the two-day meeting, Dr. Sam Bateman, Advisor, Maritime Security Program at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and Kaitlin Meredith, Programme Coordinator at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also respectively addressed the topics of maritime safety in Asia and the role of ReCAAP ISC as well as the capacity building of maritime law enforcement agencies.
“Effective response to the dynamic nature of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia requires a framework based on a common goal and shared responsibilities. The ReCAAP Focal Point Senior Officers’ Meeting is an essential and strategic platform for the heads of the respective government agencies and enforcement bodies from Asia to come together, deepen rapport, and progress towards the common goal of safer and more secure seas for all,” said Masafumi Kuroki, Executive Director of ReCAAP ISC.
The countries represented at the ReCAAP Focal Point Senior Officers’ Meeting are Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.
Source: maritime-executive.com