Top government officials and shipping industry leaders representing over 50 countries will meet in Dubai on Monday to discuss key maritime piracy issues and 'find out ways to eradicate the menace.'

The experts will discuss both public and private initiatives to counter the devastating effects of piracy on the captives and their families and communities as well as the threat it poses to peace and security internationally, said the organisers.

Co-convened by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and marine terminal operator DP World, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman, DP World, will inaugurate the two day event.

The meeting is being held under the theme “Global Challenge, Regional Responses: Forging A Common Approach to Maritime Piracy”, and will be attended by more than 30 foreign ministers, including from the GCC, senior representatives from a further 25 countries, the UN, the International Maritime Organisation, scores of industry leaders and international experts on maritime security and community development issues.

The summit will also aim to introduce initiatives that merge the efforts of both sectors in areas of community development, security, and information sharing, they said.

Panel discussions will also tackle root causes of piracy, relevant international law issues, and opportunities of furthering civilian-military cooperation to ward off attacks.

The experts will focus on ways seek the serious humanitarian and economic issue of piracy in 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.

On the sidelines of the conference, the UAE and the UNs will hold a fundraising session in support of the UN’s Trust Fund to support initiatives of states countering piracy off the Coast of Somalia.

The aim of the fundraiser is to attract new and traditional donors to the Fund, which was established in January 2010 by the UN Secretary-General at the request of the international Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.

The Trust Fund has launched a number of land-based counter piracy initiatives established and supported by both public and private sectors.

In this vein, UAE Foreign Ministry officials have revealed that the UAE will make a significant contribution to the UN Trust Fund at the conference in reflection of its ongoing commitment to the international efforts in the field of counter-piracy.

The conference is also expected to conclude with a declaration outlining areas of cooperation between the private and public sectors with the aim of establishing a working frame to further advance cooperation in various counter piracy initiatives as well as propose others, the organisers added.-TradeArabia News Service