UN will 'spare no effort' in tackling piracy

Secretary General pledges UN will 'spare no effort' in tackling piracy

**BIMCO (The Baltic and International Maritime Council) www.bimco.org
ICS (International Chamber of Shipping) www.marisec.org
IFSMA (International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations) www.ifsma.org
IMEC (International Maritime Employers’ Committee) www.imec.org.uk
IPTA (International Parcel Tankers Association) www.ipta.org.uk
Intercargo (International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners) www.intercargo.org
InterManager (International Ship Managers' Association) www.intermanager.org
International Group of P&I Clubs (IGP&I) www.igpandi.org
INTERTANKO www.intertanko.com
ISF (International Shipping Federation). www.marisec.org/isf
ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) www.itfglobal.org
IUMI (International Union of Marine Insurance) www.iumi.com
SIGTTO (Society of International Gas Tankers & Terminal Operators Ltd) www.sigtto.org

29 October 2010

In a response to the 13 organisations who jointly presented an almost million strong petition demanding action on piracy last month*, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has promised that the UN and its partners will 'spare no effort to address the challenges arising from the issue of piracy'.

Speaking on behalf of all the signatory associations, ISF (International Shipping Federation) President, Spyros M Polemis, commented: "We're grateful to the Secretary General for sharing our concerns and taking them to the Security Council for action. Our determination remains that there is no acceptable level of piracy and that the continued attacks off Somalia require urgent international action. Meanwhile piracy also prevails in other areas and we are seriously concerned at the level of violence used against crew members. This is a compelling reason to ensure that piracy is eradicated off Somalia in order to take a stand against the growth of piracy on a global scale."

ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) General Secretary David Cockroft added: "We welcome the Secretary General's assurance, and hope that what we are being promised here is real action following his report to the UN Security Council this month. Only concrete, determined countermeasures will do any good against what is well on its way to being a global problem."

A coalition of organisations representing the majority of the world’s ships and ships’ crews delivered 930, 406 signatures to the International Maritime Organisation on 23rd September, as part of an ongoing world campaign against piracy. The campaign is backed by BIMCO, ICS, IFSMA, IMEC, IPTA, Intercargo, InterManager, International Group of P&I Clubs, INTERTANKO, ISF, ITF, IUMI and SIGTTO**, as well as national shipowners’ associations and trade unions worldwide.

ENDS

*Full details can be found in the press release and accompanying press pack at www.itfglobal.org/press-area/index.cfm/pressdetail/5128/region/1/section/0/order/1. Please note that this release gives the figure of 920,000 signatures that was correct on the day before the handover but which was superseded the following day. Pictures of the petition handover as well as a ship dressed with an End Piracy Now banner are available on request

ENDS

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