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STORY: UN / SOMALIA
TRT: 1.48
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS
DATELINE: 18 NOVEMBER 2013, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters
18NOVEMBER 2013, NEW YORK CITY
2. Various shots, Security Council vote
3. Zoom in, Ambassador Liu Jieyi of China walks up to the stakeout position
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
4. Close up, journalist’s notepad
18 NOVEMBER 2013, NEW YORK CITY
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Liu Jieyi, Permanent Representative of China to the United nations:
“The resolution sends out a very strong message of cooperation between the members of the international community in combating piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia and in arresting and prosecuting the culprits. It also sets up a very important framework that will continue to enable member states to cooperate in this very important issue. It is heartening to note that past action by the Security Council has had very positive impact in this area. We see a falling curve in the number of reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the area.”
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
6. Close up, journalist taking notes on mobile device
18 NOVEMBER 2013, NEW YORK CITY
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Liu Jieyi, Permanent Representative of China to the United nations:
“We have sent to date 15 naval fleets involving about 45 naval vessels to protect commercial civilian shipping in this area and we are so glad that to date about 5200 commercial ships have been protected by Chinese naval fleets.”
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
8. Close up, journalist’s laptop computer
18 NOVEMBER 2013, NEW YORK CITY
9. Zoom out, Jieyi walks away
The United Nations Security Council today (18 November) reiterated its calls on the international community to fight piracy and armed robbery at sea, which continue to pose a threat to the delivery of humanitarian aid to the country.
In its resolution, the Council urged Member States to work in conjunction with relevant international organizations to adopt legislation to facilitate prosecution of suspected pirates, as well as to cooperate on the issue of hostage-taking.
Outside the Council, Ambassador Liu Jieyi, of China told reporters that today’s resolution “sends out a very strong message of cooperation between the members of the international community in combating piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia and in arresting and prosecuting the culprits.”
Jieyi said it was “heartening to note that past action by the Security Council has had very positive impact in this area” and noted that “we see a falling curve in the number of reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the area.”
Pirates off the coast of Somalia and the Horn of Africa have made between $339 million and $413 million in ransom profits in the past seven years, fuelling a wide range of criminal activities on a global scale, according to ‘Pirate Trails’ – a report released earlier this month by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank and INTERPOL.
Meanwhile, piracy is estimated to cost the global economy about $18 billion a year in increased trade costs, as well as significant decline in tourist arrivals and fishing yields since 2006.
The Chinese Ambassador said his country was playing an important role in combating piracy off the coast of Somalia with 15 naval fleets sent to date involving about 45 naval vessels to protect commercial civilian shipping in the area.
He said that “to date about 5200 commercial ships have been protected by Chinese naval fleets.”
The Council, in particular, commended Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania for their efforts to prosecute suspected pirates in national courts.
It also reiterated its calls on Member States to fight piracy by deploying naval arms, military aircraft and by supporting counter-piracy forces, as well as by seizing and disposing boats, arms and other equipment suspected in piracy.
They also decided that the arms embargo, originally imposed in 1992, “does not apply to supplies of weapons and military equipment or the provisions of assistance destined for the sole use of Member States, international, regional and sub-regional organizations” working to stop the scourge.
Turning to Somali authorities, the Council reiterated its calls to interdict piracy, and to investigate and bring to justice those who are using Somali territory to plan, facilitate, or undertake criminal acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea.
