ANNEX 7
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE REGIONAL SEMINAR AND WORKSHOP
Resolution No.1
PREVENTION AND SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY AND ARMED ROBBERY AGAINST SHIPS
The Singapore Seminar and Workshop
NOTING AND SHARING the grave concern expressed by the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) at its sixty-eighth session over the deteriorating situation with regard to piracy and armed robbery against ships in a number of identified regions of the world,
RECOGNIZING that the unlawful acts referred to above may pose a great threat to the safety of life at sea and the marine environment,
BEING INFORMED that some countries do not have legislation in place to allow the prosecution of cases of piracy against ships,
WELCOMING the information that certain Governments in the region were already taking measures to combat piracy and armed robbery against ships in their waters,
CONSIDERING, HOWEVER, THAT IT WAS HIGHLY DESIRABLE for all Governments in the region to intensify their efforts to tackle the problem as efficiently and effectively as possible,
1. URGES all coastal States in the region to put in place an adequate infrastructure and appropriate measures to prevent and suppress piracy and armed robbery against ships in their national waters and ports including the use of all existing facilities and law enforcement agencies;
2. RECOMMENDS that all coastal States in the region take appropriate measures, mainly through well co-ordinated efforts, to reduce bureaucracy among co-competent national authorities involved in the fight against piracy and armed robbery against ships;
3. RECOMMENDS ALSO that harmonized procedures and guidelines on communication means for alerting other ships in the area should be developed by the Organization;
4. RECOMMENDS FURTHER that the standard message format for piracy attacks and alerts contained in appendix 1 to MSC/Circ.623 should reviewed and, as appropriate, further developed;
5. INVITES the Secretary-General of IMO to bring this resolution to the attention of all coastal States in the region;
6. FURTHER INVITES the Secretary-General of IMO to bring this resolution to the attention of the Maritime Safety Committee for information.
