THE FUTURE OF SEA POWER

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The Future of Sea Power
ReCAAP is the first government-to-government agreement to enhance regional maritime
security by addressing incidents of piracy and armed robbery in Asia. The Agreement
aims to enhance multilateral cooperation amongst its contracting parties. Convinced
that greater information sharing is the key to the prevention and suppression of piracy
and armed robbery against ships in the region, the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre
(ISC) was established and launched in Singapore on 29 November 2006. The ISC is
managed by a Governing Council comprising a representative from each contracting
party that meets at least annually to determine policy an all aspects of ReCAAP
activities. The role of the ISC is to be a platform for information exchange on piracy and
armed robbery incidents, as well as conducting an analysis of the pattern and trends
of such incidents. The ISC functions by collecting data from all its contracting parties,
partner organisations and the maritime community. The raw data is critically analysed
and disseminated to all relevant parties in a timely and strategic manner. The process
of reporting and disseminating information has been successful in stemming the rise in
piracy.
Under the ReCAAP Agreement, each signatory designates what we call a ‘focal point’,
which has several important roles, and while appearing similar to a ‘point of contact’
their role is much wider and heavier.
They manage responses to piracy and armed robbery incidents within their territorial
waters and jurisdiction. They act as an external point of information exchange among
other focal points and with the ISC. They facilitate their state’s law enforcement
activities. They coordinate surveillance and enforcement for piracy and armed robbery
with neighbouring focal points. All the stakeholders in each of the contracting parties
are supposed to be under the coordination of their designated focal point, whereby the
receipt of information concerning piracy incidents should lead to quick responses.
We operate under three pillars: information sharing, capacity building and cooperative
arrangements. Let me briefly explain the three key pillars respectively.
The objective of information sharing is to provide situational awareness and to enable
the ISC to make accurate assessments to assist authorities in deploying their resources
more optimally, and to enable shipowners and masters in planning their voyages and
adopting good practices when transiting areas where there have been a high number of
reported incidents.
A crucial component in facilitating information sharing between the ISC and ReCAAP
focal points was the establishment of a 24/7 secure web-based information network
system (IFN) in 2006. The IFN was overhauled in 2012 to enhance its user interface
and automation, which facilitates prompt information sharing. In 2012 the ISC launched
an IFN mobile app and in 2014 a RECAAP mobile app to enable greater accessibility to
incident reporting and sharing, as well as to facilitate communication with ReCAAP focal
points and the shipping industry.