Singapore to host the ReCAAP ISC for another five years

Today, Singapore reaffirms its commitment to international co-operation to combat piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia, as Mr Lam Yi Young, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Mr Yoshihisa Endo, Executive Director of the Regional Co-operation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC) signed a Headquarters Agreement by which Singapore renewed its commitment to host the ReCAAP ISC for another five years.

The signing of the new Headquarters Agreement took place on the sidelines of the 6th ReCAAP ISC Governing Council Meeting this morning. It was witnessed by Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, and VADM Edmund Tan, Chairperson of the ReCAAP ISC Governing Council, Philippines Governor to ReCAAP ISC. VADM Edmund Tan is also the Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard.

"As a global hub port and a major flag state, Singapore is committed to combating piracy and armed robbery at sea. This new Headquarters Agreement will enable the ReCAAP ISC to strengthen its partnership with government and industry towards safe and secure shipping in Asia," said Minister Lui.

Launched here in 2006, the ReCAAP ISC has established itself as an authority on incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. In addition to facilitating the prompt exchange of information between ReCAAP Focal Points, the ReCAAP ISC also contributes to anti-piracy capacity building in Asia and actively engages the industry on measures to prevent attacks of piracy.

VADM Edmund Tan thanked the Singapore Government for its continuous support to host the ReCAAP ISC in Singapore. He called on Contracting Parties of the ReCAAP to chart the way ahead for these combine efforts to bear more fruits, and to bring the ReCAAP ISC to a new height.

The ReCAAP is open to any State with a stake in ensuring the security of merchant shipping in Asia and has welcomed four new members in recent years. Mr Lam Yi Young is confident that the growing interest in ReCAAP and the signing of the Headquarters Agreement for a further five years will send a clear signal that the governments are committed to co-operation against piracy.

"The signing of the Headquarters Agreement today avails both government and industry stakeholders added opportunities for strengthening co-operation towards ensuring safe and secure waterways for international shipping in Asia," said Mr Lam.

"We are grateful for the multilateral efforts; and the increasing co-operation with our Partner Organisations and the maritime stakeholders. I will continue to lead the ReCAAP ISC and together we will aim to bring about a safer sea for all," said Mr Endo.

<End of release>

About the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996, with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre (IMC), and to advance and safeguard Singapore's strategic maritime interests.

•  MPA is the driving force behind Singapore's port and maritime development, taking on the roles of Port Authority, Port Regulator, Port Planner, IMC Champion, and National Maritime Representative.
•  MPA partners the industry and other agencies to enhance safety, security and environmental protection in our port waters, facilitate port operations and growth, grow the cluster of maritime ancillary services, and promote maritime R&D and manpower development.

For more information, please visit www.mpa.gov.sg

About the Regional Co-operation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC)
The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC) was established under the Agreement, and was officially launched in Singapore on 29 November 2006. It was formally recognised as an international organisation on 30 January 2007.

The roles of the ReCAAP ISC are to:
 

• Serve as a platform for information exchange with the ReCAAP Focal Points via the Information Network System (IFN); facilitate communications and information exchange among participating governments to improve incident response by member countries; analyse and provide accurate statistics of the piracy and armed robbery incidents to foster better understanding of the situation in Asia;
• Facilitate capacity building efforts that help improve the capability of member countries in combating piracy and armed robbery in the region; and
• Cooperate with organizations and like-minded parties on joint exercises, information sharing, capacity building programme, or other forms of cooperation, as appropriate,and agreed upon among the Contracting Parties

The ReCAAP ISC facilitates exchange of information among the ReCAAP Focal Points through a secure web-based Information Network System (IFN). Through this network, the ReCAAP Focal Points are linked to each other as well as the ReCAAP ISC on a 24/7 basis, and are able to facilitate appropriate responses to incident. The agency receiving the incident report will manage the incident in accordance to its national policies and response procedures, and provide assistance to the victim ship where possible. The agency will in turn, inform their ReCAAP Focal Point which will submit an incident report to the ReCAAP ISC and its neighbouring Focal Points.

For more information about the ReCAAP ISC, please visit
http://www.recaap.org