Maritime Industry Urges UN to Establish Anti-piracy Force

Frustrated at the continuing growth of piracy especially in the Indian Ocean region, shipping industry groups have asked the United Nations to step in  and create an armed military force.

Four shipping industry associations, including the International Chamber of Shipping, InterCargo, BIMCO and INTERTANKO have written a letter to the United Nations Secretary General Ban-ki-Moon, asking the organization to adopt a different approach to maritime piracy along the Somali coastline. Many of the most deadly pirate attacks occur along the Somali Coastline and the Horn of Africa, and the dismal economic and social situation in Somalia has been very much to blame. The international community has been focused on eradicating poverty, famine, poor social economic standards and other problems in Somalia to choke off piracy.

However, merely focusing on developing the situation in Somalia in order to discourage piracy is likely to take a long time to show any results, and it is time that shipping companies simply don’t have. There are literally hundreds of seamen who are currently being held captive by pirates.

According to the shipping groups, the problem is only likely to get worse. There is increasing evidence that pirates are getting more sophisticated, and are using technology to deter any attempts by vessels to fight back. The shipping groups want the United Nations to establish an armed force that can have a presence on vessels in high-risk areas.

The maritime piracy lawyers at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers  represent crewmembers of vessels involved in pirate attacks across the globe.