On 1-3 March 2011, the 5th Annual Meeting of the ReCAAP ISC Governing Council was held in Singapore.
Under the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), an Information Sharing Centre “ReCAAP ISC” has been established to enhance coordination among relevant authorities of Member States. At present, ReCAAP is comprised of 17 Member States both within and outside Asia, namely Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Denmark, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao DPR, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Thailand. The ReCAAP ISC Governing Council is the supreme organ which makes policies and monitors the operations of the Centre.
One of the important issues discussed during the Meeting was how to enhance communication between the ReCAAP network (whose main purpose is to combat piracy) and the network of Rescue Coordinating Centres or RCC (whose main purpose is to rescue vessels and persons in distress at sea). The aim is to ensure rapid and effective rescue response for all ships in danger, whether they are under attack by robbers/pirates or are in any other kinds of distress situation. Moreover, the Meeting encouraged countries which have yet to establish a Rescue Coordinating Centre to expedite the process. The integration between the ReCAAP and RCC networks is of paramount importance in view of current circumstances where maritime threats both from piracy and natural disasters occur more and more frequently and with a greater degree of intensity. The recent devastating tsunami in Japan is a severe reminder of such necessity.
Thailand has always given precedence to combating piracy and armed robbery which is a great threat to fisheries and international shipping. In this regard, during September 2010 to January 2011, the Royal Thai Navy has participated in the international anti-Somali piracy force in the Gulf of Eden, off the coast of Somalia. In addition, Thailand has always played an active role in the ReCAAP ISC. Mr. Pornchai Danvivathana, Deputy Director General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was elected as the Chair of the Governing Council during 2009-2011. During his Chairmanship, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Royal Thai Navy, co-hosted the 3rd ReCAAP ISC Focal Points’ Senior Officers’ Meeting in August 2010 in Phuket.
For further information, please visit www.recaap.org
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th