(NEWS) President Speaks at NMIOTC Annual Conference, Greece

June

2016

President Speaks at NMIOTC Annual Conference, Greece

On 7 June, President Doumbia-Henry delivered a keynote address at the 7th NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center (NMIOTC) Annual Conference in Souda, Greece. The 2016 event was focused on providing opportunities to discuss issues related to the complexity of threats to maritime security represented by transnational organized crime at sea and to provide proposals and solutions related to this global security challenge.

President Doumbia-Henry focused on the issues surrounding migration by sea noting the United Nations Security Council resolution 2240/2015 authorizing UN member States to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Lybia with respect to migrant smuggling and human trafficking. It did so again on 23 April 2016 deploring the recent maritime tragedies in the Mediterranean Sea and emphasizing the need for better coordination of efforts to deal with the smuggling of migrants. “Trafficking is a multi-billion dollar activity today and is a phenomenon that seriously threatens basic human rights. Source, transit and destination countries are all negatively impacted by this type of illegal activity. And being a global threat, it necessitates cooperation and intervention. This issue is very high on the agenda of relevant UN agencies and of all European Governments, including the European Union itself. It must be on the agenda of countries from which these migrants and refugees originate,” stated President Doumbia-Henry. She also referred to the importance of addressing the underlying issues at their source and the importance of long-term investment in sustainable development and livelihoods in countries of origin of migrants in irregular situations, including building peace and security and promoting job creation to ensure long-term impact.

President Doumbia-Henry highlighted the efforts of WMU in addressing maritime security including the WMU Migration by Sea Symposium that took place in April 2016 at WMU in partnership with the University of Genoa as well as a new postgraduate diploma programme in Maritime Security in cooperation with DNV GL’s Maritime Academy that will be available via distance learning in 2017. Further, the President noted the importance of collaboration among stakeholders, such as the Memorandum of Understanding between NMIOTC and WMU, to promote synergies and improve cooperation in addressing numerous modern security challenges.

While in Souda, President Doumbia-Henry met with the Commandant of NMIOTC, Commodore Georgios Tsogkas GRC(N), to discuss opportunities to further enhance the cooperation between WMU and NMIOTC based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed in January 2016. The MoU is of a three-year duration and focuses on the development of academic and educational cooperation, particularly in the field of maritime safety and security. Key points include the potential for the exchange of faculty members and staff officers as well as the development of joint research projects.

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