Report of the Secretary-General on the situation with respect to piracy and armed robbery at sea
Fecha de la noticias: 09/11/2020 • Publicada: 09/11/2020
Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 29 of
Security Council resolution 2500 (2019), in which the Council requested me
to report within 11 months on the implementation of the resolution and on the
situation with respect to piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of
Somalia.
2. The report covers the
period from 1 November 2019 to 31 October 2020 and highlights major
developments since my previous report (S/2019/867). It is based on information
provided by the United Nations system, including the United Nations Assistance
Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as well as Member States and regional
organizations, including the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD),
the European Union Capacity-Building Mission in Somalia, the European Union
Naval Force (EU NAVFOR), the Indian Ocean Commission and the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO).
II. Main developments, trends and considerations regarding
piracy off the coast of Somalia 3. Efforts
of the international community to combat piracy were impacted by the
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. International coordination meetings,
such as the annual plenary session of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast
of Somalia, were postponed. The global demand for goods significantly
decreased, which further reduced the volumes of cargoes shipped across the
western Indian Ocean. As supply chains were interrupted, tanker traffic
increased owing to increased demand for storage capacity.
4. Nevertheless, concerted efforts to combat piracy off the
coast of Somalia continued, thanks to the Federal Government of Somalia and the
international community, including the Contact Group; individual Member States
(see annex I); and international naval forces, such as EU NAVFOR Somalia
Operation Atalanta and the Combined Maritime Forces.
5. For the first time, there were no incidents of piracy off the
coast of Somalia during the reporting period (see annex II). However,
suspicious approaches towards merchant vessels in the region were observed by
some partners, indicating that the progress made on combating piracy off the
coast of Somalia remains fragile and reversible.
6. In their industry
releasable threat assessment of 1 September 2020, the Combined Maritime Forces
and EU NAVFOR Somalia concluded that piracy off the coast of Somalia continues
to be largely suppressed owing to the combined efforts of naval forces and the
continued implementation of Best Management Practices. They also indicated that
there is a low risk of piracy attacks as pirate action groups have diversified
their activities, although they retain the capability to launch attacks
