Over 500 foreign ministers, senior government officials, executives of global maritime sector companies and leading experts will gather to discuss the humanitarian impact of piracy on seafarers and their families at conference in Dubai.

The third International Counter-Piracy Conference entitled ‘Countering Maritime Piracy: Continued Efforts for Regional Capacity Building,’ will be held on September 11 and 12, co-convened by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, global ports operator DP World and Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC).

Building capacity in the region includes addressing piracy in the short term through effective security initiatives, including co-ordination between international navies and merchant vessels, and longer term initiatives that support the development of local economies, said a statement.

Other issues to be discussed include injecting new momentum in the search for an effective and enduring solution to piracy through collaboration across political, military, financial and legal sectors; encouraging a comprehensive approach that can deliver a long term sustainable solution; and highlighting cooperation between industry and government sectors through joint strategies.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, said: “While the international community has made great strides in fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia, the UAE believes that maritime piracy, notably in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean, remains of serious global concern.”

“We are convinced that successfully countering piracy can only be achieved if the international community enhances its efforts to build capacity in the region,” he said.

Dr Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, chairman ADPC, said: “While much has been achieved through the last two conferences and the number of incidents has dropped - the pirate groups still exist, the threat is still present and the devastating human consequences of pirate attack or armed robbery at sea still remains.”  - TradeArabia News Service