UN steps up anti-piracy efforts in Horn of Africa region

The United Nations has stepped up fight against piracy in the Horn of Africa region particularly off the coast of Somalia following approval of two million U.S. dollars to help curb the vice. A statement from the UN Political Office for Somalia issued in Nairobi on Thursday said the UN Trust Fund for the Fight against Piracy has approved a package of projects in support of anti- piracy efforts in Somalia and other affected States in the region, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Maldives and the Seychelles. "The dramatic decline in pirate attacks is clear evidence of years of hard work by United Nations Member States, international and regional organizations, and actors in the shipping industry," said UN Assistant-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Taye- Brook Zerihoun, who chaired the Board of the Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. The UN said the projects will provide biometrics-based fishermen database systems to support monitoring and surveillance of fisheries resources while providing important information to counter-piracy forces. Support will also be provided to law enforcement authorities and prosecutors in front-line States affected by piracy to investigate illicit financial flows from piracy. The statement comes after the global maritime body confirmed that a number of attacks off the coast of Somalia related to Somali pirates have reduced drastically with five incidents being reported in the first quarter of 2013 including the hijacking of a fishing vessel and its 20-member crew. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB) however warned of complacency in its latest quarterly report for January-March, saying the risk of being approached or attacked still exists. The body said although the number of acts of piracy reported in Somalia has significantly decreased, there can be no room for complacency. Officials said the drop in reported attacks is due to proactive naval actions against suspect Pirate Action Groups, the employment of privately contracted armed security personnel and the preventive measures used by the merchant vessels (as per latest Best Management Practices recommendations). The UN said the five anti-piracy projects aim to ensure that the ongoing piracy trials are conducted in a fair and efficient manner and that the human rights, health and safety of individuals suspected of piracy are protected. The statement said the projects approved will also facilitate the repatriation from the Maldives to Somalia of detainees suspected of piracy, as well as supporting Kenyan prisons in meeting minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners. The projects will equip detainees and youth at risk in Somalia with skills employable in gainful livelihoods, deterring their involvement in piracy and contributing to the economic development of their communities. Zerihoun acknowledged the gains, adding that people should not be under any illusion that piracy has been conclusively brought under control. "The international community should continue to support the efforts of Somalia and States in the region to strengthen their maritime law enforcement capacities and their rule of law sector." "With the Trust Fund's resources largely spent, now is the time to replenish the Fund to bridge critical gaps in counter-piracy efforts," Zerihoun added. Somali pirates are dangerous and are prepared to fire their automatic weapons and RPG at vessels in order to stop them. They have also used "mother vessels" to launch attacks at great distances from the coast. These "mother vessels" are usually hijacked dhows or ocean going fishing vessels. In the past Somali pirates have also tried to use hijacked merchant vessels. Many past attacks have taken place more than 1,000 km from the Somali coast (towards Indian west and south coast in the Indian Ocean). The Board of the United Nations Trust Fund for the Fight against Piracy comprises 10 voting member states -- Germany, Italy, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Norway, Qatar, Seychelles, Somalia, Turkey, and Britain -- and three non-voting entities, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS). Since its establishment in January 2010, the Trust Fund has received some 17 million dollars in contributions from member states and the maritime industry. It approved funding for 31 projects, worth almost 16 million dollars, as well as 700,000 dollars to meet short-term needs related to unforeseen expenditures. The fund aims to help defray the expenses associated with the prosecution of suspected pirates and other activities undertaken in the fight against piracy.