Maritime Security
The Contact Group on Illicit Maritime Activities (CGIMA) Plenary Session in Kenya
- On May 24, 2023, the Contact Group on Illicit Maritime Activities (CGIMA), a meeting to coordinate efforts and cooperation against maritime crimes off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in a hybrid format.
- The meeting was chaired by Kenya and attended by Somalia’s neighboring countries, countries in Asia, the Americas and Europe, as well as international organizations and relevant companies. The participants shared information about counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, and exchanged opinions on the importance of capacity building support to help addressing the root causes of piracy, as well as the importance of counter measures against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and smuggling. From Japan, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended the meeting.
In response to Security Council Resolution 1851 (December 2008), the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) was established in January 2009 to coordinate efforts against piracy off the coast of Somalia by governments, military forces, the shipping industry and NGOs. At annual plenary sessions, participants discuss the current situation of the occurrence of piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia and the efforts by international organizations. Japan chaired the 4th plenary held in New York in September 2009 and co-chaired the WG on Maritime Counter Piracy and Mitigation Operations from 2014 to 2016. After 2023, its name was changed to “the Contact Group on Illicit Maritime Activities,” where the participants share information and coordinate their efforts concerning the measures to address the root causes of piracy, including international cooperation.