Information sharing to combat piracy in Asia to be enhanced

PANO - After two days of intensive and serious discussions, on November 12 afternoon in Hanoi, the meeting of the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centers (ISC), co-organized by the Vietnam Coast Guard and the ReCAAP ISC, concluded successfully.

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Executive Director of the ReCAAP ISC Vijay D. Chafekar chaired the closing session which saw the presence of representatives from Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

Executive Director of ReCAAP ISC Vijay D. Chafekar delivers the closing remarks.

Earlier that morning, under the chairmanship of Vijay D. Chafekar, delegates engaged in group discussions on maritime security and safety issues of mutual concern, particularly mechanisms for cooperation and coordination among nations, agencies, forces, and enterprises in combating piracy and armed robbery against ships.

During the two-day meeting, participants exchanged information and shared updates on national efforts to prevent and combat piracy and armed robbery against ships from early 2025 to the present, while identifying emerging challenges. They also discussed measures to strengthen information-sharing mechanisms, enhance coordination capacity, and effectively respond to new maritime threats. Several initiatives were proposed to deepen cooperation among national contact points, thereby improving early warning, forecasting, and rapid response to maritime security and safety-related issues.

During discussions

In his closing remarks, Vijay D. Chafekar emphasized that in the current context, incident reporting, information sharing, and data analysis remain key elements in implementing measures to combat piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. He noted that these measures must be reinforced by strong and consistent law enforcement actions by nations and relevant forces to ensure effectiveness. Therefore, enhancing cooperation and coordination among all stakeholders is crucial to maintain maritime security and effectively address new challenges at sea.

The outcomes of this meeting in Vietnam would be an important foundation for strengthening coordination among national information-sharing points, deepening friendship, and building trust among maritime law enforcement forces in particular and among regional countries in general.