THAI MECC from Thailand, MARINA from the Philippines, the Italian Virtual Regional Maritime Traffic Centre (VRMTC) and the French Maritime Information Cooperation & Awareness Centre (MICA) also participated in the event.

SHARE.IT is the interoperability framework developed by CRIMARIO which is designed to link existing information exchange systems together, thus contributing to enhancing maritime situational awareness, collaboration, and cooperation.

During the four-day event, co-organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP) and the project, experts presented results of the latest achievements to members and potential partners and the latest technological developments of the SHARE.IT gateway.

The first two days of the conference aimed to bring together IT technicians and junior policymakers to discuss matters of a technical and operational nature while briefing partners on the concepts, challenges, and benefits of SHARE.IT.

It was also the opportunity to present the requirements to enhance the technology and agree to develop a certification system to ensure technical compliance of partners’ developments and the way ahead.

On the following two days, Directors of the Centres convened to discuss policy matters and the way ahead. The EU Special Envoy to the Pacific, H.E. Tibbels, opened the session.

In his remarks, he underlined the significance of the initiative: “The expansion of the SHARE.IT Community is an extremely positive development for the EU, as it demonstrates the EU’s efforts to promote a collaborative and open approach to regional cooperation. Since the Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific was published in September 2021, the EU is stepping up its security engagement with this region, especially in the maritime field.”

Participants agreed to convene in January 2024 to sign a Declaration of Intent related to the new advances of the SHARE.IT initiative, while a technical online meeting will take place in February to prepare the ground for the 4th SHARE.IT Conference (27 – 31 May).

SHARE.IT was consensually considered by partners and guests, as the “missing piece” for Maritime Domain Awareness in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

In her closing remarks, Sara Rezoagli, Acting Ambassador, Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Thailand, highlighted that: “All participants agree with the importance of enhancing information exchange amongst the maritime community, and a collaborative tool such as SHARE.IT will allow this to be multiplied. The European Union hopes this initiative will continue and will be coupled with the right political will to implement the corresponding national legislative and regulatory frameworks.”

Martin Cauchi-Inglott, CRIMARIO Project Director, closed the conference by stating: “We are proud to have started this important initiative together with UNODC, and I’d like to acknowledge participants for their contribution during the conference. We made good progress in the implementation of the SHARE.IT technological tool, defined to address common threats and challenges together. Thank you for agreeing to embark on this journey with us to build bridges across vast ocean spaces.”

L’article Third SHARE.IT Interoperability Conference: presenting the latest technological developments and formalising the community, to strengthening maritime security through fast communication est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

Amado Philip de Andrés made these statements on Friday after a courtesy call to Seychelles’ president, Danny Faure, at State House, Victoria.

“The first good news that we had from the president is that we are going to reestablish our presence here as of the beginning of April. My UNODC officer will be the entry point for us to physically increase our cooperation and presence in Seychelles,” said de Andrés, who is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

The courtesy call was also an opportunity for the new UNODC representative to discuss other areas to increase cooperation, namely maritime security strategy, drug demand reduction and prison reform.

Established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for International Crime Prevention, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime. 

On maritime security, de Andrés said UNODC is thinking of using the Regional Fusion and Law Enforcement Centre for Safety and Security at Sea (REFLECS3) based in Seychelles for interregional exercises with Latin American and European countries. The centre is located at Bois De Rose, on the outskirts of Victoria, the capital.

Read the full article published by Seychelles News Agency.

L’article UN anti-drug body to return to Seychelles est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.