Statement on piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea

Statement by IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim

I was very pleased to be informed of the successful outcome of the first Industry/NIMASA Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting, which took place virtually on 28 May 2020.  Their collaborative efforts to address the serious issue of piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea are commendable.

I am personally committed to supporting this joint initiative, and had the opportunity to convey IMO's support to Bashir Yusuf Jamoh, Director General, NIMASA, personally when I met him virtually, when I also expressed my congratulations to the Nigeria Navy on the recent successful operations executed to prevent and deter acts of piracy and armed robbery in the region.  

Those actions, together with other initiatives underway in Nigeria such as the Deep Blue Project  send a strong and valuable message to the international community with respect to the considerable efforts Nigeria is making to curb piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Gulf of Guinea.

I am deeply encouraged by this initiative, and the positive manner in which both Nigeria and the industry have embraced the value of cooperation and joint working.

I would also like to commend the industry's effort to establish an open dialogue with coastal states and for the work undertaken to develop the Best Management Practices for West Africa, and would like to highlight the importance of full application of the measures and reporting procedures contained therein.

I am optimistic that this concerted effort will bring even more positive results and I look forward to continued collaborating with NIMASA, industry and all other interested stakeholders to achieve the common goal of ensuring maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea. 

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Further information on the Outcome of Joint Working Group Meeting can be found here:. 

Full text of BMP West Africa can be found here.