CGPCS to Hold Its Sixteenth Plenary Session in New York, USA

The Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia (CGPCS) will hold its Sixteenth Plenary Session at the UN Headquarters in New York on 14 May 2014, under the Chairmanship of the European Union.

The meeting will focus on three major policy areas: (i) capacity building in the region off the coast of Somalia; (ii) the anti-piracy operations and mitigation actions by the international community; (iii) the disruption of piracy networks ashore.

The Plenary will open with key note speeches from Mr. Jeffrey Feltman, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, the IOC Secretary General Mr. Jean-Claude de l’Estrac and the Somali National Security Adviser, Sheikh Issa and it will be chaired by EEAS Deputy Secrtary General Maciej Popowski.

Background

The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPSC) was created on January 14, 2009 pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1851. This voluntary ad hoc international forum brings together those stakeholders affected by Somali piracy: countries from the region, Western Europe, Middle East and Asia, industry, seafarer’s organisations and NGOs. The Contact Group coordinates political, military, and non-governmental efforts to tackle piracy off the coast of Somalia, ensure that pirates are brought to justice, and support regional states to develop sustainable maritime security capabilities.

The EU assumed the chairmanship of the Contact Group on the 1st of January 2014 with Maciej Popowski, Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) as EU chairperson. Its aim is to work together with all stakeholders in the region and with the international community to bring the fight against Somali piracy to an end. This aim reflects the strategic framework and broader objectives set out during the Conference on a New Deal for Somalia in Brussels on 16 September 2013.

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Press Release, May 14, 2014; Image: European Union External Action