Three of the participants work at the Bossaso Port under DP World port operations, while one represents the Puntland Ministry of Ports & Crime Prevention. Bossaso, a major port city in northeastern Somalia and a key economic hub in the Puntland region, plays a vital role in maritime trade, fishing, and livestock exports. Connecting Somalia with countries across the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, the port is central to regional trade, job creation, and the movement of goods.

When asked what message they would give to young women considering a career in maritime or port-related fields, the responses were clear and encouraging.

“I work at the port as a security officer, and I can say we can do it; we can afford it. We can work in ports or other maritime-related industries. Indeed, we can do it!” said Samira.

Her message was echoed by her colleagues, who described the maritime sector as challenging yet rewarding, offering continuous learning opportunities and professional growth. They encouraged young women not to be discouraged by the male-dominated nature of the industry, stressing that women’s contributions are both needed and valued.

At the same time, the discussion highlighted areas where further support is essential. Access to international training, better resources, and greater institutional backing were recurring themes.

“I would like to have international training so that our knowledge can grow and we can engage with other countries,” said Fatima. Working with the Puntland Ministry of Development and Welfare, she added, “People do not always share the same opinions, and we have different views. Still, we all understand that we need to be supported and given more opportunities for international training.”

She also pointed to practical challenges, noting that offices are not always fully equipped, before concluding with a broader reflection: “Women are everywhere and are often overlooked, while men are favoured. Women are the backbone of the family.”

These exchanges took place following a maritime Tabletop exercise held at the beginning of February, organised by the EU CRIMARIO project in cooperation with the Djibouti Code of Conduct Jeddah Amendment. The exercise was conducted using the IORIS platform, a neutral and user-friendly maritime information-sharing tool that enables coordination and communication through a secure, encrypted online environment.

The EU CRIMARIO representative for Somalia visited Bossaso to support local officials during the exercise, which brought together a wide range of maritime safety and security stakeholders operating in the region. Participants included representatives from maritime authorities, coast guards, port authorities, fisheries administrations, and the regional maritime information-sharing centre in Yemen.

The exercise provided a safe and collaborative environment to practise coordination and decision-making, identify areas for improvement, strengthen professional networks, and build confidence among agencies responsible for maritime safety and security. Such activities are essential for reinforcing collective responses to transnational maritime threats and ensuring the safe and secure use of regional sea lanes.

At the conclusion of the exercise, the four women participants expressed their appreciation for both the technical knowledge gained and the supportive learning environment.

“Thank you CRIMARIO and EUCAP SOMALIA for these days. We truly appreciate the opportunity of being with you for the past few days of learning the IORIS platform and observing such an important system. IORIS is going to strengthen maritime coordination, information sharing, and border management in maritime operations,” said Shuweeya.

“I would like to greet everyone that was with us during the four-day exercise,” added Fatima. “I especially want to thank Mrs. Ali and Mr. Andrew for facilitating the exercise. I also want to appreciate Malina, who is a capable and excellent woman and very supportive when we arrived at EUCAP SOMALIA.”

The voices of these women from Bossaso underline both the importance of inclusive participation and the need for continued investment in women’s capacity-building within the maritime sector. With sustained training opportunities, adequate resources, and inclusive policies, maritime security can become a space where women not only participate, but lead—contributing their expertise and inspiring the next generation.

Similar situations may be faced by any oil company worldwide; therefore, preparedness for a wide range of scenarios is essential. With this objective in mind, a Tabletop Exercise (TTX) was organised by the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) together with PTT Public Company Limited (PTT), a Thai state-owned, SET-listed petroleum and natural gas company, with the support of the EU CRIMARIO project.

The objective of the Tabletop Exercise was to develop and validate coordination procedures that enhance strategic understanding and effectiveness of coordination and control mechanisms for commercial vessels between the Royal Thai Navy and PTT Public Company Limited. At a broader level, the exercise aimed to reinforce structured cooperation with ship-owning companies and commercial shipping stakeholders, strengthening civil–military partnerships to ensure the security and resilience of maritime routes supporting international trade.

The exercise focused on testing coordination and information exchange between RTN and PTT during the passage of commercial vessels—particularly those carrying highly sensitive cargo such as crude oil—through high-risk areas.

More specifically, participants were requested to practise, via the IORIS platform, exchanging communication between the two institutions aimed at accompanying and protecting PTT vessels using RTN assets.

As both organisations had received training on IORIS in the days preceding the exercise, the platform proved to be particularly well suited for supporting the scenario and meeting the exercise objectives.

At the end of the exercise, during the debriefing session, participants shared feedback on the effectiveness of the platform. As reported by Captain Panuphun Rakkeo, Head of Maritime Law Enforcement Division, Royal Thai Navy:
“Due to its specific capabilities, IORIS helped partners create a very clear and useful common operational picture, which enabled participants to have a shared understanding of the situation at sea, particularly concerning the positioning of the vessels and of their possible future actions.”

He further added:
“Designed to mainly support information exchange and coordination between partners, IORIS played a key role in the exercise by enabling participants to inform each other on their intentions, actions and results of their actions. The constant information exchange between participants enabled a open and constructive collaboration which increased the level of trust and confidence between the two organizations. The use of IORIS was very beneficial particularly in enabling the establishment of a common operational picture accessible at any moment for all actors and in facilitating the testing and improvement of the existing dedicated SOP.”

Commenting on the exercise, Alexandru Chiric Southeast Asia representative of the EU CRIMARIO project stated:

“It has been a real pleasure to support and organise an activity of this quality. The high level of competence, professionalism and engagement demonstrated by all participants clearly showed the value of regular joint exercises. Scenarios such as this one highlight how, even in high-risk maritime areas, improved coordination and information sharing can help prevent incidents and reduce risks. We were particularly pleased to see IORIS perform as expected, effectively supporting decision-making and cooperation throughout the exercise.”

Following the success of the TTX, a live exercise may be organised in the coming months, again making use of the IORIS platform to further test procedures and operational coordination in real-time conditions.

This exercise highlighted the critical importance of preparedness, coordination, and information sharing when navigating high-risk maritime areas. In an increasingly complex maritime security environment, effective collaboration between military authorities and the civilian sector—supported by reliable digital tools such as IORIS—remains essential to mitigating risks, protecting critical cargoes, and preventing incidents with potentially severe economic and environmental consequences.