Global Maritime Agencies Brainstorm in Abuja

-By Fred Ojeigbe

The Global Maritime Security Conference took place in Abuja at the International Conference Centre (ICC), between 7th-9th October, 2019. The conference drew participants from across the world to discuss issues relating to maritime safety and security and how they impact on global economy, viz-a-viz continental economy.

The conference is essentially about socio-economic and political activities on the Gulf of Guinea. The Gulf of Guinea spans west and central regions of Africa, covering about 6,000 kilometres of coastline extending from Senegal in the north to Angola in the south.

It also encompasses a number of sovereign coastal and landlocked states, which share diverse geographical, geological and cultural heritage. According to the information obtained from the organizers of the conference, the Gulf of Guinea generates an estimated Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of 950 billion dollars, while its market size is estimated to have 470 million consumers.

It is also said that 70 percent of Africa’s oil production is from the Gulf of Guinea, while it holds about 5 percent of the world’s total proven oil reserves. The Gulf of Guinea export value is estimated at over 180 billion dollars, while its import value stands at over 105 billion dollars.

Speakers and Panelists who gathered at the conference had different professional backgrounds and callings. Experts from different fields of human endeavour were also at the conference, while members of the diplomatic community, the intelligence agencies, military institutions as well as regulatory agencies were at the conference.

President Muhammadu Buhari gave a keynote address, while the Ministers of Transport, Rotimi Ameachi and Defence Major Gen Bashir Magashi (rtd) also addressed the gathering. The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Abayomi Olonisakin and the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas also addressed participants at the conference.

Amongst keynote speakers are Giuseppe Sernia, UNIDO Programme Officer, Global Maritime Crime Programme, Mr Phillip Heyl CEO of The Heyl Group, Captain Loic N. Moudouma, Deputy Chief Gabon Navy, Mr Tim Edmunds Director Global Insecurities Centre. Others are Rear Adm. Tariworio Dick, Chief of Naval Training and Operations, Nigerian Navy, Prof Jeffrey A Landsman, Associate Professor US Naval War Colleges and Christina Katsouris, Associate Fellow, Africa Programme Chatham House, UK.

Some of the Panelists include Dirk Siebels, senior Analyst, Risk Intelligence Denmark, Dr Kofi Mbiah Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Chamber of Shipping, Captain Nathalla Daniel, French Navy and Mr Adekola Oyenuga CEO, AO Blue Economy and Energy Consulting.

There were 11 thematic sessions which touched on Maritime Security, Legal Framework and Regulatory issues in the Gulf of Guinea, Maritime Governance, Security and the Blue Economy, Technology Deployment in Maritime Security: Emerging Issues, Maritime Security: Moving Beyond Policy Statements to taking Collective Actions, Balancing Geographical, Economic and Geostrategic Interests in Maritime Security Initiative, and Maritime Security: Evolving Roles, Models, Missions and Capabilities.

Others include Future of Maritime Security: Trends, Emerging Threats Vectors and Capability Requirements, Ensuring Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea : Effective Regional Cooperation and Roles of International Partners, Enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness MDA, Maritime Security Partnerships: the Roles of Civil Societies, and Harmonized Standard Operating Procedures, (HSOP), a model for cooperation.

President Muhammadu Buhari in his remarks expressed concern on safety issues in the Gulf of Guinea. He said his administration has taken steps to address issues that would boost socio-economic activities in the Gulf of Guinea.

While expressing confidence that the conference would give birth to innovative solutions and offer new mechanisms and strategies that would deepen global commitment towards ensuring effective and efficient security in the Gulf of Guinea and other critical areas essential for world maritime trade, the President said “ in addition to the suppression of piracy and other maritime offences Act, my administration has also put in place an integrated National Surveillance and maritime Waterways Protection Solution with Command and Control Infrastructure.” He added that “the deliverables from the project have bolstered Nigeria’s maritime security architecture and increased monitoring and compliance enforcement within the Nigerian waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone.”

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibas in his remarks said to check the activities of criminals in the maritime domain the Nigerian Navy acquired offshore patrol Vessels, fast attack craft, logistics vessels ,hydrographic ship and more than 300 inshore patrol craft, while concurrent efforts was made to encourage operational training and indigenous ship building capacity.

He said “Naval security stations have been established at strategic locations along the coast as part of a Choke Point Concept to checkmate illicit activities. This has paid off with the arrest of 206 vessels and barges as well as hundreds of suspects for various maritime offences in the last four years, aside incalculable deterrence value”.

HIGHLIGHT OF SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CONFERENCE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PANEL 5-10
PANEL 5
MARITIME SECURITY, LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND REGULATORY ISSUES IN THE GULF OF GUINEA

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. As a priority, ratify and fully domesticate the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, in particular its Article 101 on piracy and Article 105 on universal jurisdiction;
2. Ensure that maritime offences under domestic law meet the requirements of “serious offence” as defined by Art. 2 of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime;
3. Criminalize auxiliary offenses supporting acts of piracy, including its financing, providing all forms of logistical support, the laundering of the proceeds of piracy;
4. Ensure that the legal framework tackling the proceeds of crime, including provisions on asset tracing, seizure, forfeiture and confiscation are aligned with the respective provisions of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime;
5. Consider the introduction of Non-Conviction Based Forfeiture, and where already existent ensure its application to the proceeds of maritime crime;
6. Remedial measures against non-compliant countries – review of ECOWAS Protocol for expansion of powers of ECOWAS Community Court;
7. Increased funding for Navies to guarantee capacity for independent coverage of maritime domains.
8. Capacity building and sensitization of judiciary on crucial elements of Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) in Nigeria.
9. Comprehensive Piracy Legislation that include associated crimes Mutual Assistance Instruments through bilateral agreement and signing of MoU’s etc, required to address jurisdictional challenges.
10. The need to address the root causes of threats in maritime security.
11. The need to emplace appropriate mechanism to enforce the law on maritime security.
12. The need to focus on enforcement of international ship and port security code at the port.
13. Harmonization of legal frameworks amongst member States of GoG.
14. The need to foster collaboration amongst member States in the region to combat the complexities of transnational crimes.
15. Evidence gathering and the exchange of evidence is crucial to the effective prosecution of offenders.
16. Rules of engagement at sea should be developed and exercised within appropriate legal framework on maritime security

PANEL 6
GLOBAL MARITIME SECURITY CONFERENCE IN THE GULF OF GUINEA: MOVING BEYOND POLICY STATEMENTS TO TAKING COLLECTIVE ACTIONS

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Strengthen cooperation, coordination, pooling and interoperability of community assets for the implementation of the regional strategies for maritime safety and security in the common maritime space of the GOG.
2. Regional organisation should develop job description and requisite capacity parameters to ensure adequate staffing based on competency rather than political consideration.
3. Improved exchange of Information and experience sharing among stakeholders.
4. Harmonization of legislation, operational procedures and training of maritime professionals in the region.
5. Leaders should give political will to relevant maritime institutions by providing them with required funding to enable them deliver on their mandates.
6. Emphasize on the need for innovative, achievable, sustainable and implementable ideas with timelines.
7. Improved coordination across existing systems, centers, equipment and platforms capable of bringing stakeholders together.
8. Subsequent initiatives on maritime security should be African led ownership with international partner support.
9. Reiterated the need for trust and confidence building among maritime stakeholders with a view to transforming policy statement to action.
10. Maritime security policies must be comprehensive and conscientious.
11. Political Leaders to demonstrate political commitment to expedite the enactment of relevant laws against maritime crimes.
12. Member states to support CIC in creating GoG working group meetings where issues of maritime security could be extensively discussed and harmonized for result oriented action.
13. Member states and regional organisations to enact piracy laws consistent with UNCLOS Art 100, 101, 105 & SUA Convention + Protocols as well as enactment of fishery laws consistent with UNCLOS Art 56, 73 and other binding fisheries conventions.
14. Ratify and domesticate United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) with Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) clearly defined and in line with national and regional circumstances.
15. Sign extradition treaties in accordance with the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA).
16. Make Yaoundé Code of Conduct a binding GoG convention.
17. Promote cohesiveness between Government agencies and Navies for timely and reliable access to information in order to keep supply lines open and mitigate risk.
18. Improve partnership between security agencies of the GOG and Merchants to build Regional framework for dialogue and coordination towards enhancing sharing of commercial and operational intelligence.
19. Reporting / Operations Centers should provide a safe conduit for the passage of two-way information and intelligence for improved reporting and sharing of industry data sacrosanct for military planning.
20. CIC should issue Maritime Security Guidance for coordinated and uniform action.
21. Reiterated the need for GOG to establish a single point of contact for ease of policy implementation.
22. Relevant regional agencies should consider the appointment of professional Industry Advisers for informed policy decision on maritime security and related issues.

PANEL 7
TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT IN MARITIME SECURITY: EMERGING ISSUES

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Gulf of Guinea countries should adopt the integrated maritime surveillance system using the EU initiative of common information sharing environment (CISE) as a model.
2. Gulf of Guinea states to implement and enforce the use of long range tracking and identification (LRIT) system for vessel surveillance in line with IMO/SOLAS conventions.
3. Extended network of trust and collaboration should be created between law enforcement agencies and maritime stakeholders in the Gulf of Guinea.
4. A central command and control centre to coordinate available technological solutions should be established for the gulf of guinea countries.
5. Intelligence and information sharing among security agencies of the Gulf of Guinea should be done in secure route.
6. Gulf of Guinea countries should consider deployment of drones for maritime surveillance in future.
7. Law enforcement agencies in the Gulf of Guinea should determine the appropriate technology required by evaluating vessel management systems for non-convention vessels.
8. Navies and relevant stakeholders in the Gulf of Guinea should adopt best practices and collective responsibility in the collection, analysis and dissemination of information.
9. Gulf of Guinea member states should develop protocols and standards as well as conduct periodic exercises and audit of command, control and coordination centres.
10. The various command, control and coordination centres in the gulf of guinea should conduct regular joint operations.
11. Security agencies in the Gulf of Guinea should adopt an integrated land and sea operation in maritime surveillance.
12. Government of member states of the Gulf of Guinea should prioritize acquisition and deployment of appropriate technologies.
13. Government of member states of the Gulf of Guinea should make adequate budgetary provision for technology acquisition.
14. Countries of the Gulf of Guinea should establish a joint operation centre with appropriate infrastructure, streamlined/standardised processes and trained manpower on a long term basis.
15. International and continental technical and financial support should be allocated directly to various regional and zonal centres.
16. Redundant zones (c and e) created under the Yaoundé code of conduct should be operationalised.
17. A comprehensive approach to research and technology for integrated capability to match solutions should be introduced at the global level.
18. Maritime education and training should be introduced at various institutions of learning.
19. Mandatory continuous education and retraining should be organised for seafarers.
20. Member states of the Gulf of Guinea should ensure continuous research for improved cyber security in the maritime domain.

PANEL 8
FUTURE OF MARITIME SECURITY: TRENDS, EMERGING THREAT VECTORS AND CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. African States should manage donors effectively as some offers could be duplicative and contradictory.
2. States should have a clear sense of their problems and priorities and spearhead international assistance programs which would be specifically tailored to address these specific problems.
3. International partners should provide assistance based on regional requirements not based on their own agendas as this would assist member States build stronger navies that would protect their waters.
4. Multinational Exercises between navies in the region should be encouraged to improve their capabilities.
5. States should give more media coverage to ecological crimes and also engage in campaigns that would educate their populace on the benefits derivable from the maritime industry as a way of agitating national interest in the sector.
6. Nigerian Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies should focus attention on jetties, fishing boats and international oil companies as a means of tackling maritime crimes.
7. Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies in the Gulf of Guinea nations should leverage on existing surveillance capabilities to support monitoring of vessels at sea.
8. Nigeria should pay more attention to its citizens who have been trained and acquainted with maritime operations and provide employment opportunities to avoid them engaging in maritime crimes.
9. States should develop their own maritime security capabilities, coordination and information sharing mechanisms.
10. States should develop sustainable maritime economies by tackling illegal fishers thereby developing sustainable coastal livelihoods.
11. States should shift focus from traditional security – military or naval responses of managing the consequences and addressing the problem itself.
12. African nations should approach the issue of maritime security from its deeper root causes and change focus from the foot soldiers to the main financiers and/or beneficiaries of maritime crime.
13. States should target the supply chains and profit logistics of maritime criminals in order to restrain their activities.
14. States should develop more transparency and cooperation with law enforcement amongst maritime industry operators, charterers and insurers.
15. Regional communities should devise transparent regulations to enable legal operations and take ownership of the already existing strategies on paper to ensure their implementation.
16. Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies should admit shortcomings/problems caused by insecurity at sea.
17. State nations should measure the effectiveness of various private maritime security agencies operating in their regions with a view to determining their relevance in the regions.
18. States should invest in capacity building of their lawyers and judiciary to enable them appreciate the complexities in the maritime industry and not jeopardize cases.
19. States should focus on capacity building in enforcement and policing, developing maritime patrol, surveillance and coordination capacities.

PANEL 9
ENHANCING MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Improve on existing architectures on ground instead of developing new ones.
2. The need to create more opportunities for stakeholders’ interaction.
3. The need to determine what to do with information and how to make use of them effectively.
4. Develop and integrate maritime strategies- MDA process and procedures
5. Maritime interagency stakeholders roles, responsibilities and authorities should be well sorted out
6. Training, established procedures and skills should always come before technology.
7. Ensure Interoperability of systems for all participating partners.
8. Understand, use and improve the established chain of command.
9. Security procedures, protocols for safeguarding sensitive information should be put in place.
10. Continually assess protocols, processes and procedures with interagency, regional, international partners, and stakeholders.
11. Support and implementation of the Yaoundé Protocol at national levels.
12. Human resources such as local fishermen should be utilised as a source of information.
13. States to develop adequate response capabilities to actionable intelligence.
14. Joint trainings at the various maritime information centres to harmonise standards and procedures.
15. MDA capabilities to be built up first at the national level and thereafter on a regional basis.
16. The GoG is to develop appropriate traffic separation schemes.

PANEL 10
MARITIME SECURITY PARTNERSHIPS THE ROLES OF CIVIL SOCIETIES

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. National and regional action should go beyond observing code of conduct to analysing the causes of maritime crime.
2. National and regional authority should attach political, economic and social value to maritime sector in view of its impact on national economy.
3. Stakeholders should promote rapid response to crime alert for early and successful intervention.
4. Emphasise the benefit of MDAs, industries and CSO collaboration to rid the maritime communities of crimes for enthronement of economic beneficial activities.
5. Emplace compilation of adequate data to facilitate comprehensive policy formulation.
6. Sustainable National and regional organisations should collaborate with CSOs to identify capacity building needs of maritime community for legitimate engagement of the community.
7. Reiterated the need for deliberate synergy between and among MDAs and CSOs towards avowed national and regional determination for crime free sea routes.
8. Reiterated the need for inclusive trust building among national MDAs, private organisations, people and regional authorities through shared interest and experience.
9. Constructive engagement with all relevant stakeholders including seafearers, fishermen, coastal community for maritime security in the region.
10. Improved platforms for dissemination of maritime related crime information between CSOs and national and regional operational centres for timely responses.
11. Advance the need for engagement of auxiliary maritime staff among coastal communities to facilitate elicitation and documentation of valuable information for improved maritime security.
12. Exploring the blue economy for the benefit of local communities and national wellbeing as part of the process of checkmating and reducing maritime crime.
13. Emphasise the role of the Navy and the support of maritime industries in the safety of the sea and seafearer to ultimately keep the sea free from criminal inhibition.
14. Recognise the contribution of seafarers and to emplace systems and procedures to assure their safety from attempts of piracy and other related maritime crimes.
15. Policy should go beyond providing for the safety of the seafarer to counselling and diffusing post traumatic hijack incidences.
16. Consider urban planning to restructure or reconstruct the shanty dwelling environs around the seaports in states within the GOG.
17. While reiterating the need to avoid multiple structures for its obvious inherent challenges, it was stressed that cooperation should be built on consultation rather than confrontation, transparency rather than secrecy, prevention rather than correction and partnerships rather than unilateral decisions.