It is a bit rich, all this carping criticism from the United Nations about the private security sector, suggesting that it is open to trigger-happy criminals to get in on the act in the absence of that wonderful bureaucratic solution to all the world’s ills – “regulation”.
It doesn’t seem to occur to the disapproving officials that the industry doesn’t want to have arms aboard merchant ships and pay a lot of money for private protection. But it is forced into this strategy of self-help largely because the international “community” of governments is failing to do its job and ensure that piracy is consigned to the history books.
The UN and indeed any of its member governments have no moral right whatsoever to criticise the industry’s security arrangements while the situation in Somalia is surrounded by members of the Security Council sitting on their hands resulting in a policy vacuum. No UN report can burble on about “competence” when there is not much of this component being shown in addressing the root causes of piracy in this failed state.
Sure, there might be some cut-price gunslingers riding on merchant ships, just as there are some cut-price ship operators loose in the world. But if the UN was doing what it was supposed to be doing, rather than writing reports, the internal problems of Somalia would be addressed, the shipping industry would not be driven down the road of “self-help”.
Seafarers and ship operators have a right to safe navigation, and if governments can’t provide the necessary level of security, it is necessary to buy protection in the market. Said Murray Hammick of defence contractor Chenega Federal UK when launching the Open Ocean maritime security programme in London recently : “….it is about stepping back and taking a long-term and strategic view of what it is that individual shipowners and operators need in order to allow them to carry on their business without interference by unlawful gangs at sea”. Of course he is right. But maybe it is the UN and member governments which should be “stepping back and taking a long-term and strategic view” of the situation in Somalia, rather than criticising others for their reaction to its maritime consequences.
(Bloomberg) — The owner of the shipping yard that built the Titanic is entering administration, a type of insolvency procedure in the UK, for the second time in five years. ...
John Long (Flinders University) Imagine the seas off Peru, 6 million years ago. A group of long-nosed dolphins swam through the warm seawater, breaking the surface with occasional enthusiastic leaps...
Sept 2 (Reuters) – A beluga whale that was suspected of spying for Russia after being discovered in Norwegian waters five years ago has been found dead, according to the non-profit organization...
September 1, 2024
Total Views: 8361
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.