1 Introduction
1. Over the last four years, piracy off the coast
of Somalia has become an international phenomenon, plaguing shipping
in the Indian Ocean and resisting attempts by the international
community to contain it. Despite a high level international response
that has included nine UN Security Council resolutions and three
different multi-national naval operations, the numbers of vessels
affected each year keeps growing: in 2007, there were 55 attempted
and successful attacks by Somali pirates. By 2010, that had almost
quadrupled to 219. Over the same period, over 3,500 seafarers
have been held hostage, and 62 have been killed.[1]
2. In January 2011, Jack Lang, a former French
Foreign Minister who now advises the UN on piracy, warned that
Somali pirates were becoming the "masters" of the Indian
Ocean.[2] The first three
months of this year saw piracy attacks worldwide hit an all time
high, largely driven by piracy off the coast of Somalia. From
January to March 2011, the International Chamber of Shipping recorded
97 by Somali pirates, averaging more than one a day. Fifteen ships
were successfully hijacked and 299 crewmen taken hostage. The
rise in attacks coincided with an increase in violence, with seven
seafarers killed and 34 injured worldwide.[3]
We note that some observers have attributed the recent rise in
piracy off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea to copycat
attacks, and that this is also a concern. However, while lessons
should be learned from the experience with Somali piracy, such
as the importance of swift intervention, piracy in the Gulf of
Guinea has on the whole followed a different model to that of
Somali piracy.
3. On 10 June 2011, the Committee announced its
inquiry into the FCO's response to this disturbing phenomenon.
It had the following terms of reference:
The Foreign Affairs Committee has announced that
the Committee will examine the role of the FCO in support of UK
and international action to combat the increasing levels of piracy
off the coast of Somalia. In particular, the Committee will look
at:
- The adequacy of international
and domestic law and jurisdiction
- Co-ordination at the international level, particularly
the UN
- Consular assistance, including the UK's policy
on the payment of ransoms
- FCO support for anti-piracy projects on land
in Somalia
- UK naval involvement in EU, NATO and other anti-piracy
operations.
As part of this inquiry, the Committee took evidence
from representatives of the insurance and shipping industries,
experts on marine law and on Somalia, British victims of Somali
piracy, the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) and the Ministry
of Defence, as well as the Minister with responsibility for counter
piracy. The Committee also conducted a visit to the Permanent
Joint Headquarters in Northwood and received briefing from staff
of one of the multinational counter-piracy naval operations, EUNAVFOR's
Operation Atalanta.
4. We note the House of Lords' European Union
Committee 2009 report on piracy, which focused on the EU Operation
Atalanta, and we have no wish to duplicate its work.[4]
This report will focus on the work of the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office and the UK Government's contribution to international counter-piracy
efforts.
1 "Deaths of seafarers in Somali pirate attacks
soar", Reuters, 20 June 2011, reuters.com Back
2
"In Race between Pirates and International Community, Pirates
Clearly Winning, Secretary-General's Top Legal Adviser on Piracy
Warns Security Council", Department of Public Information,
Security Council , 6473rd Meeting (AM), 25 January
2011, un.org/news Back
3
"Attacks off the Somali coast drive piracy to record high,
reports IMB", International Chamber of Commerce, 14 April
2011, icc-ccs.org Back
4
European Union Committee, 12th Report of Session 2009-10,
Combating Somali Piracy: the EU's Naval Operation Atalanta,
HL103 Back
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