Global marine terminal operator DP World has announced a contribution of $500,000 towards initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of piracy.

$400,000 of the funds will go towards the Port Community Livelihood and Security Initiative (PCLSI), a DP World-backed collaborative project already underway in Africa, while $100,000 will be donated to the UN Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the coast of Somalia.

The announcement was made ahead of a UN and UAE government fund-raising session on the sidelines of the two-day International Counter-Piracy Conference co-convened by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and DP World at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. It is the first high-level public-private counter piracy conference to be held in the region on the widespread threats of piracy and collaborative means to eradicate it.

With new attacks on vessels happening daily, government and industry leaders representing over 50 countries have gathered in Dubai to seek a common response to what has become a serious threat to the world’s sea-borne commerce.

The PCLSI is an association of industry-backed projects addressing critical human and infrastructure needs in and around the perimeter of ports in Africa and South East Asia, particularly in areas affected by, or at risk of becoming havens for, piracy.

“It is our hope that the PCLSI initiative will galvanise industry support for port-communities in unstable, and/or economically fragile regions,” stated Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman, DP World.

DP World has already invested $100,000 in the collaboration, which is currently active in three countries – Djibouti, Mozambique and Senegal.-TradeArabia News Service