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Denmark enters into international agreement to combat piracy in Asia
At a meeting in Singapore next week, the Danish Maritime Authority will announce Denmark’s decision to join the international cooperation in this field.
ReCAAP is a regional cooperation agreement on combating piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. The agreement covers an area extending from India to Japan. Every year, a great number of Danish ships pass through Asiatic waters.
Deputy Director General of the Danish Maritime Authority Birgit Sølling Olsen, who will represent Denmark at the ReCAAP meeting next week, says:
”Danish participation is interesting because the agreement serves to strengthen the possibilities of combating piracy in the vulnerable states from which the pirates typically operate. Since the launching of the cooperation in 2006, we have witnessed a decrease in the number of acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Asiatic region. It is important that Denmark also contributes to the work combating and preventing piracy in Asia. In this way, we support the efforts made in the area to secure the area as well as to secure shipping and the seafarers on board the ships.”
The cooperation agreement obliges participating countries to effectively strive to prevent and combat piracy and armed robbery against ships. The cooperation is based on three columns: Information sharing, capacity building (technical assistance for, for example, training and education) as well as cooperative arrangements. In practice, the latter is restricted to the coastal States of the region.
Crucial to the cooperation is the exchange of information on and experiences with piracy. For this purpose, a Singapore-based information centre has been established. The purpose of the centre is to facilitate communication, exchange of information and operative cooperation between the participating states. In this way, the possibilities of countering piracy and armed robbery against ships are strengthened.
Each country taking part in the cooperation has appointed a Focal Point responsible for the communication with the Singapore-based information centre. The Focal Point in Denmark will be the Danish Maritime Authority.
ReCAAP is short for Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia. 14 Asian countries and Norway have already joined the cooperation. More information is available from ReCAAP’s webpage.
Please feel free to contact the Danish Maritime Authority for further information.
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