Final Countdown Begins for Third UAE Counter-Piracy Conference

The final countdown has begun for the 3rd public-private international counter-piracy conference scheduled to be held in Dubai on September 11-12, with more than 20 briefing papers now available on the official website www.counterpiracy.ae.

Held under the theme of “Countering Maritime Piracy: Continued Efforts for Regional Capacity Building”, the conference is jointly convened by the UAE Ministry Foreign Affairs, global ports operator DP World and Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC), demonstrating the UAE’s support for public and private sector coordination in the fight against maritime piracy both on and off shore.

Building capacity in the region includes countering piracy in the short term through effective security initiatives, including co-ordination between international navies and merchant vessels, and longer term initiatives that support the development of local communities.

Around 500 participants comprising foreign ministers, senior government officials, military officers, executives of global maritime-sector companies, and leading experts have already registered for the two-day invitation-only event.

The briefing papers are grouped under four broad areas: “The Maritime Security Dimension and Capacity Building”, “Private Sector Contribution to Counter-Piracy Efforts (Ports & Industry)”, “A Different Dimension to Countering Piracy: Humanitarian Efforts for Alternative Livelihoods”, and “Attributing Success Factors for Counter-Piracy in a Complex Environment”.

The papers reflect diverse viewpoints on topics ranging from developing a sustainable maritime strategy for Somalia and engaging West African leaders to unite against piracy in their region, to private sector contributions, and the use of a model to develop counter-piracy capabilities advocated by the UAE to close specific capability gaps and target assistance where it can have the greatest impact.

In keeping with the conference’s theme of capacity building, a DP World paper calls on the private sector to identify mechanisms to further create an environment for sustainable development of Somalia’s emerging economy and address the root causes of maritime piracy.

During the conference, a plenary session will examine how to measure success in countering piracy off the coast of Somalia, while breakout working sessions will review maritime security and capacity building, humanitarian aid programmes in Somalia and the response to the issue of maritime piracy by the maritime industry.

The UAE’s position as a global hub for trade and commerce together with its significant regional and international partnerships are expected to make the event a key platform for the coordination of the international response to end the scourge of piracy in the long term.

[mappress]

ADPC, September 8, 2013