THE SEMINAR
22 The seminar programme (annex 2) consisted of eight lectures addressing the following subjects:
Presentation No.1
Purpose and intent of the seminar and workshop
23 Mr.E.O. Agbakoba (IMO) explained the purpose and intent of the seminar and workshop, which was to improve safety at sea and in port areas through assisting Government officials in the countries concerned to enhance their capability for preventing and suppressing piracy and armed robbery against ships in their coastal waters and ports through the implementation of the guidelines developed by IMO and any related technical measures elaborated during the meeting. The meeting would also discuss the development of cooperation agreements between neighbouring countries with respect to combating the piracy and armed robbery threat through establishing a regional approach to the problem, where appropriate. The seminar and workshop was intended for those in charge, or expected to be in charge, of port or coastal security and for Government officials with responsibility for ports security associated legislation or law enforcement. It would also be of interest to entities interested in ports, shipping or recreational yachting activities.
He went on to give a brief historical background of IMO's involvement in combating piracy and armed robbery against ships since the Government of Sweden first brought the matter to the Organization's attention in 1983 and raced the development of modern piracy and the actions that IMO had taken in this regard. These consisted of a series of resolutions, circulars and guidance to Administrations, shipowners and seafarers on proactive measures they should take before entering areas where piracy threat was known to exist and providing advice on how to react if attacked. Mr. Agbakoba referred to the guidance materials which had been issued by other international organizations, notably the ISF and the IMB on the subject.
He informed the meeting that the Organization has been compiling and disseminating statistics on attacks on ships worldwide and in addition has prepared and circulated guidance materials to Governments, shipowners and seafarers. It has also adopted a number of resolutions urging Governments to take action to prevent and suppress piracy and armed robbery in their waters. He traced the rise of modern day piracy in different parts of the world, illustrating with statistics compiled by IMO the areas where the problem was most severe. He described the modes of attack in different areas and the consequences these had on crew, passengers and cargo. In furtherance of it's efforts to deal with the problem, he gave the sequence of events that took place in IMO which resulted in the on-going seminar and workshop and concluded with future IMO's activities planned in this regard.
Presentation No.2
Modern piracy and armed robbery against ships
24 Mr. J. Abhyankar (ICC - International Maritime Bureau) explained that modern day piracy, of whatever form, is a violent, bloody, ruthless practice and is made the more fearsome by the knowledge on the part of the victim that they are alone and absolutely defenceless and that no help is waiting just round the corner.
