The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC), with the support of the Royal Thai Navy, also the ReCAAP Focal Point for Thailand, today concluded a five-day Capacity Building Senior Officers’ Meeting (CBSOM) in Bangkok, Thailand. Senior officers of maritime law enforcement and regulatory agencies from 14 ReCAAP Focal Points (Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States of America and Vietnam) and partner organisations attended the meeting.

During the meeting, participants took stock of the evolving maritime security situation in and outside of Asia, and discussed effective countermeasures to deal with piracy, sea robbery and other maritime security threats. A range of topics were presented and discussed, including:

• Inter-agency and international cooperation to combat maritime crimes
• Legal considerations for States conducting enforcement operations against piracy and armed robbery against ships
• Using technology to enhance maritime domain awareness and the safety of seafarers transiting areas of concern

Participants also discussed the future direction of ReCAAP ISC, and exchanged ideas on how government authorities can work with the private sector to adopt technological solutions to improve maritime safety and security.

Mr Vijay D Chafekar, Executive Director of ReCAAP ISC, said “The perpetrators of maritime crimes are increasingly using technology to identify vulnerable ships and attack them selectively. Law enforcement agencies must proactively employ technology tools in their operational response to counter the emerging challenges. There also needs to be real-time information exchange between relevant agencies to enable a more coordinated response against armed robbery and other illegal activities at sea.”

Admiral Jirapol Wongwit, Commander in Chief, Royal Thai Navy, said, “As a Contracting Party to ReCAAP, Thailand is pleased to co-host the CBSOM, and play a part in enhancing regional cooperation and information sharing to combat piracy and sea robbery in Asia. The CBSOM has achieved its objectives of enhancing communication and building synergy between ReCAAP Focal Points, and facilitating the sharing of knowledge and best practices between law enforcement agencies, the shipping industry and academia.
Source: Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP)