UN / MARITIME SECURITY GULF OF GUINEA

The Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, told the Security Council that a decline in piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea “is due to the significant efforts of national authorities" as well as "the support of regional and international partners.” UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:29
• Production Date: 21 June 2023
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: MARTHA AMA AKYAA POBEE
• Corporate Name: DEPARTMENT OF PEACE OPERATIONS - DPO; ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF CENTRAL AFRICAN STATES - ECCAS; ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES - ECOWAS; SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: ARMED GROUPS; CRIME; PIRACY
• Geographic Subject: AFRICA; CENTRAL AFRICAN REGION; WEST AFRICA
• MAMS Id: 3061805
• Parent Id: 3061805
• Alternate Title: unifeed230621b

Description

STORY: UN / MARITIME SECURITY GULF OF GUINEA
TRT: 02:29
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 21 JUNE 2023, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN Headquarters

21 JUNE 2023, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Wide shot, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee speaking
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“Instances of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea have continued to steadily decline. This decrease, which began in April 2021, is due to the significant efforts of national authorities, who bear the primary responsibility for countering piracy and armed robbery at sea in the region, and the support of regional and international partners.”
5. Wide shot, Council
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“The operationalization of the Yaoundé architecture, though not fully completed, has also significantly increased maritime security cooperation in the Gulf of Guinea. More specifically, it has resulted in enhanced information sharing between all concerned parties, as well as a simplified process for disseminating actionable maritime security-related information with relevant stakeholders, including with the naval assets of international partners deployed to the region.”
7. Wide shot, Council
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“Rapidly addressing the challenges that hamper the full operationalization of the Yaoundé architecture is critical to maintaining current gains as piracy incidents continue to threaten the safety of maritime traffic in the region. Recent figures already suggest that incidents are steadily shifting from the waters of ECOWAS towards the ECCAS maritime domain.”
9. Wide shot, Council
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations:
“It cannot be overemphasized that enhanced coordination between the signatory parties, the Interregional Coordination Centre, the Gulf of Guinea Commission, ECOWAS and ECCAS remains vital. We look to their joint leadership in defining a strategic outlook and roadmap for the next decade to complete the operationalization of the Yaoundé Architecture. We call on willing partners to provide the requisite support to these regional efforts.”
11. Wide shot, Council

Storyline

The Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, today (21 Jun) told the Security Council that a decline in piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea “is due to the significant efforts of national authorities" as well as "the support of regional and international partners.”

In her briefing to the Council, Pobee said, “the operationalization of the Yaoundé architecture, though not fully completed, has also significantly increased maritime security cooperation in the Gulf of Guinea.”

More specifically, she noted, “it has resulted in enhanced information sharing between all concerned parties, as well as a simplified process for disseminating actionable maritime security-related information with relevant stakeholders, including with the naval assets of international partners deployed to the region.”

The Assistant Secretary-General said, “rapidly addressing the challenges that hamper the full operationalization of the Yaoundé architecture is critical to maintaining current gains as piracy incidents continue to threaten the safety of maritime traffic in the region.”

She pointed out that “recent figures already suggest that incidents are steadily shifting from the waters of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) towards the ECCAS (Economic Community of Central African States) maritime domain.”

In closing, Pobee said, “it cannot be overemphasized that enhanced coordination between the signatory parties, the Interregional Coordination Centre, the Gulf of Guinea Commission, ECOWAS and ECCAS remains vital” adding that she looked forward “to their joint leadership in defining a strategic outlook and roadmap for the next decade to complete the operationalization of the Yaoundé Architecture.”

The meeting was convened to mark the ten-year anniversary of the “Yaoundé Code of Conduct” that created the Gulf of Guinea’s maritime security architecture.

The “Yaoundé Code of Conduct” was adopted on 25 June 2013 in Cameroon during a regional summit of Gulf of Guinea states.