Roundup: UN council concerned over Gulf of Guinea piracy, calling for more cooperation

The UN Security Council on Monday told West African states -- and any other entity that can help -- to get moving on countering piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, start cooperating with each other and expand regional roles because armed robbery at sea is threatening peace, development and security.

The stern advice was handed down in a Presidential Statement, a consensus document of the panel of 15 members that expresses the unanimous will, yet falls short of a resolution, but carries the full weight of international law.

The document was approved during a debate on Peace Consolidation in West Africa and Piracy and Armed Robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea.

"The Security Council ... reiterates the primary role of states in the region to counter the threat and address the underlying causes of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea, in close cooperation with organizations in the region, and their partners," the statement said. "The Security Council remains deeply concerned about the threat that piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea pose to international navigation, the security and economic development of states in the region, to the safety and welfare of seafarers and other persons, as well as the safety of commercial maritime routes."

The council expressed its concern over the reported number of incidents and level of violence during piracy -- including murders, kidnapping, hostage-taking and robbery -- in the gulf since 2014.

"The Security Council thus encourages the regional organizations, including the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) and the Maritime Organization for West and Central Africa (MOWCA), to enhance sub-regional, regional and international cooperation on maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea," the statement said.

Ambassador Tete Antonio, permanent of observer of the African Union at UN headquarters in New York, while admitting severity, defended his region, saying piracy represents a major concern not only to the region but also to the African Union and to the international community as a whole.

"Our concerns are all the more acute, as piracy attacks in this region have, over the past decade, increased in severity and scope spreading northward and southward. Such attacks represent nowadays more than a quarter of all attacks reported worldwide," he said.

Antonio said that since "energy, security and trade in this region depend to a large extent on sea-based transport, these attacks inflict billions of dollars of economic losses to the countries concerned in the region."

It wasn't just smaller states expressing concern at the session. Major powers expressed concern as well, including veto-wielding permanent members of the council.

Ambassador Liu Jieyi of China, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for April, speaking in his national capacity, described the Gulf of Guinea as an important route and energy base for the region.

Liu said that, given their lack of financial resources and equipment, countries in the region needed technical assistance in capacity-building, construction and maintenance of infrastructure, logistical support and training of personnel.

Liu also said increased coordination among regional groups was vital in preventing duplication of efforts.

Ambassador Peter Wilson of Britain used as an example attacks on two ships attacked off Nigeria last month.

"Those two ships were flagged to Malta and Liberia; their cargo came from Turkey, Greece and Nigeria," he said, adding that crew members captured came from Egypt, the Philippines and Turkey.

"So on just one day, on the seas off West Africa, piracy struck at the people, the property and the prosperity of seven members of the United Nations," he said. "It should concern us all that there were around 100 similar incidents in the Gulf of Guinea last year. It doesn't take a mathematician to see that the damage done by these acts is not isolated to a far off place; far removed from this Council's attention."

Ambassador Michele J. Sison of the United States, said "some industry experts recording at least 32 attacks off the coast of Nigeria alone in 2016.

"The economic consequences for the people of the region are devastating," she said. "According to a Chatham House report, as much as 400,000 barrels of crude oil are stolen each day in the Gulf of Guinea. By some estimates, Nigeria is losing about 1.5 billion (U.S.) dollars a month due to piracy, armed robbery at sea, smuggling, and fuel supply fraud."

"We have spoken many times in this chamber about the root causes of piracy -- ineffective governance structures, weak rule of law, precarious legal frameworks and inadequate naval, coast guard, and maritime law enforcement," Sison said. "The absence of an effective maritime governance system, in particular, hampers freedom of movement in the region, disrupts trade and economic growth, and facilitates environmental crimes."

Ambassador Evgeny Zagaynov of Russia said that while piracy was a highly functional business for some, it endangered national and regional peace and security. Since most attacks had taken place close to the coast, resolving the issue required strengthening of coastal defenses.

He also said effective legal prosecution and identifying piracy channels were among other key steps that must be taken. Endit