As a Contracting Party to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery (ReCAAP) and host to the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) since its establishment in 2006, Singapore said it was pleased to have participated at the 9th ReCAAP ISC Governing Council meeting held from 17-19 March 2015.
This year, 19 members attended the Governing Council meeting.
“Good progress was made by the Governors at the 9th Governing Council Meeting on the future directions for ReCAAP ISC. Items discussed include how ReCAAP ISC could position itself as an internationally recognised centre of excellence for information sharing.
“Singapore takes a serious view on the increase in incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia, including incidents of oil siphoning. Based on ReCAAP ISC’s annual report for 2014, there were 183 incidents in 2014, a 22 per-cent increase compared to 2013. Singapore urges all stakeholders to strengthen their cooperation to deter and combat piracy and armed robbery against ships incidents in the region. Singapore stands ready to work closely with the littoral States to tackle this challenge,” Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Andrew Tan said.
He said Singapore remains concerned about the regional piracy and sea robbery situation and urged all stakeholders to work closely together to combat the situation.
“Singapore stands ready to cooperate with the littoral states to strengthen the coordination among the enforcement agencies.
“We also commend the efforts by ReCAAP ISC in engaging regional governments and the maritime community to provide timely and relevant information and analyses of the incidents. Such efforts demonstrate the commitment by ReCAAP ISC and ReCAAP Contracting Parties, including Singapore, to ensure an improvement in the piracy and sea robbery situation in Asia. As ReCAAP nears its 10th Anniversary in 2016, Singapore hopes that ReCAAP ISC will take this opportunity to strengthen its role as an internationally recognised centre of excellence in information sharing,” Tan added.
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