Presentation No.3
A historical review of piracy and lessons learned
25 Mr. B.A.H. Parritt, speaking on the history of piracy in different parts of the world, observed that paradoxically, although it fosters the most barbaric acts of cruelty, the perception throughout history still remains that it is somehow glamorous and is even accepted as a legitimate way of earning a living, particularly if the victims are foreigners or in the older days classified as "infidels".
He was of the opinion that pirates use a lot of violence because they are always outnumbered by the crew hence they need to achieve quick domination by force.
He traced the rise of piracy in the Mediterranean, Caribbean region and the Far East in the colonial days when most of the pirates were seen by their compatriots as brave adventurers who were working in the interest of their countries.
The more able and charismatic of the pirates (often described as "privateers" to give them some measure of respectability) gradually expanded their forces from individual ships to private squadrons and fleets capable of attacking convoys of merchant ships and landing and sacking towns.
They were so successful that it took the combined navies of France, the Netherlands and Great Britain to fight them. This was not, however, until the activities of the pirates began to damage commercial profits and the countries involved saw the advantage of setting aside their political interests.
Mr. Parritt went on to describe the scene in the Caribbean and the Far East where a large number of merchant ships carrying valuable goods from the colonies to Europe provided profitable targets, and the myriad of remote islands in the regions provided land based strongholds where the pirates could return to relax and enjoy or dispose of their captives and loots.
He concluded with the opinion that despite international concern, big counties will not wish to commit their warships to fighting the problem until a major incident so shocks the world that counties demand an international conference to discuss co-operation and possible military action on international level.
Presentation No.4
Piracy and the Law
26 In her presentation, Mrs. B. Olsen (Denmark) spoke about piracy and the law. She identified IMO and the United Nations as two international fora prominent in developing measures aimed at ensuring safety at sea. Even though a number of measures have been developed and implemented, she was of the opinion that more needed to be done because of the increasing incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships. In view of the fact that attacks on merchant ships often occur outside the jurisdiction of the flag State it is essential to clarify the responsibilities of the coastal State in accordance with the 1982 Law of Sea Convention. She went on to explain the provisions of the relevant articles of the Law of the Sea Convention on piracy and armed robbery, first by making a distinction between the legal difference between piracy and armed robbery and the actions allowed and liability of the State in each case.
