Attacks by pirates off the coast of Somalia have been contained to an extent but long-term regional solutions are what the third conference to be held in Dubai this September will actively discuss and seek to address.

 

Foreign ministers, senior government officials, executives of maritime companies, and leading security experts will attend the conference titled, ‘Countering Maritime Piracy: Continued Efforts for Regional Capacity Building’, on September 11 and 12. “While the international community has made great strides in fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia, the UAE believes that maritime piracy, notably in the Gulf of Aden and the Western part of the Indian Ocean, remains a serious global concern. We are convinced that successfully countering piracy can only be achieved if the international community enhances its efforts to build capacity in the region,’’ said Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Affairs Minister.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, global ports operator DP World and the Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC), who are convening the conference said 500 participants are expected to attend the summit and said public and private sector cooperation would go a long way in the fight against maritime piracy both on and off shore.

The conference plans to address piracy in the short term through effective security initiatives.

‘‘We at DP World, together with our industry colleagues from around the world, look forward to cementing the achievements of previous conferences and discussing building capacity in the region, analysing state legitimacy issues and seeking long term solutions to the problem,” said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World

Captain Juwaid Saleem, a former captive of Somalian pirates, and his family, will share their experiences in the summit.

Captain Juwaid and his crew of the ship MV Albedo were held captive for more than two years. His two daughters featured in a documentary premiered at last year’s conference highlighting the humanitarian cost of piracy, when he was still a prisoner. He and seven of his crew were released six weeks after the 2012 conference; the remaining 15 crew members are still missing in Somalia.

Dr Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, Chairman ADPC, said countering piracy remains a top priority for the emirates. — news@khaleejtimes.com

Source:Khaleej Times