Fourth International Counter-Piracy Conference held in Dubai

Fourth International Counter-Piracy Conference was held in Dubai from 29 – 30 October 2014. The theme of the Conference was Securing State Recovery: Sustaining Momentum at Sea, Confronting Instability Land. It sought to address the challenges, and current concerns regarding maritime piracy.

The Conference was hosted by UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with global marine terminal operator DP World. The Conference addressed the challenges, and current concerns regarding maritime piracy.

It was attended by more than 600 delegates including attendees from over 50 Government and non-governmental organisations.

Main developments of the Conference

• The participating governments promised full support for the counter-piracy efforts at sea and on land.
• The Conference expressed hope that participating members will contribute to Somalia’s political and economic development and future security.
• The Conference noted that while incidents of Somali-based piracy have fallen significantly, the economic costs remains high at more than 3 billion US dollars and the human cost to seafarers and their families is severe. There remain an estimated 37 seafarers still held captive in Somalia.
• At the Conference, UAE committed to ensure the safety of the world’s oceans and the well-being of citizens and seafarers alike.
• The special discussion on youth and gender empowerment highlighted the vital importance of empowering and engaging these marginalized groups in society for the enduring growth and prosperity of the region.
• Discussions were also held around the lessons learned from counter-piracy policy in the Horn of Africa and recent trends that helped facilitate building a framework for future cooperation. Also, the scope of discussion was expanded to include West Africa, a region of growing concern for governments and industry alike.

About the International Counter-Piracy Conference

The International Counter-Piracy Conference is being held every year since 2011 and the host country is United Arab Emirates.

The theme of the first conference was Global Challenge, Regional Responses: Forging A Common Approach to Maritime Piracy.

The second conference was held in 2012 with the theme A Regional Response to Maritime Piracy: Enhancing Public-Private Partnership and Strengthening Global Engagement.

lThe third conference was held in 2013 with the theme Countering maritime piracy: Continued efforts for regional capacity building.