In recent years, the priorities of combating international terrorism
have expanded beyond the suppression of terrorist actions by
organization like Al Qaeda. Issues such as combating financial terrorism
and preventing radicalisation and recruitment are at the epicentre of
the international community’s efforts. Providing assistance to the
victims of terrorism is also included in the general approach that is
followed.
United Nations
The Security Council has taken the leading role by introducing the Counter-Terrorism Committee, which oversees the implementation of counter-terrorism policy.
In 2005, the UN Secretary General proceeded to the introduction of the Counter Terrorism Implementation Task force for the combating of Terrorism, an organ which oversees the involvement of all the services of the UN. In September 2005, Resolutions 1624 was adopted by the Security Council, condemning every form of terrorist action regardless of origin and prohibiting committing terrorist attacks.
The international contractual framework on Terrorism is determined by the 16 UN Conventions, which contain the general guidelines and overall political thinking against terrorism.
In September 2006, the General Assembly voted for the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy. This strategy consists of the central political text of the UN and the partial issues of antiterrorist policies created based on this. The Strategy text has been revised three times (2008, 2010, 2012).
EUROPEAN UNION: The European Union Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted in November 2005, is a ground-breaking EU text on terrorism. It includes 4 basic goals in the sections on prevention, protection, repression, and resolving terrorist incidents.
The EU Counter Terrorism Coordinator is the ad hoc coordinator for the harmonization of national practices and policies pursued by the EU on the issue of terrorism.
GREEK INITIATIVE: Greece has signed all of the international legal instruments on Terrorism. Since 1991, our country has also been a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental organization that aims to promote policies. In this framework, all necessary measures are taken in the direction of preventing financing for terrorism on the level of national legislation. Based on Law 3932/2011 an Independent Authority operates to combat the financing of terrorism.
In the context of the upcoming Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU, our country is called upon to take a leading role in the promotion of EU policies in the field of combating terrorism. The first semester of 2014 is expected to see the completion of the regular revision of the Global Antiterrorist Strategy.
COMBATING PIRACY
Pirate attacks on commercial vessels threaten the free and proper conduct of international shipping and trade off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Guinea. According to the relevant annual report of the “Oceans Beyond Piracy” organization, the damage to the global economy due to the costs of piracy off Somalia in 2012 amounted to between 5.7 and 6.1 billion dollars. The cost of piracy is particularly high for captive seamen – who are deprived of their freedom, sometimes for months, or their lives – and their families.
A. Region off the coast of Somalia
International Reaction: In reaction to the heightened threat of pirate attacks on the Gulf of Aden, the UN Security Council proceeded to take a series of resolutions, the first being 1816 (2008), while many countries (including the USA, China, Russia, India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore) sent naval forces. NATO operates in the region (NATO Operation Ocean Shield) in cooperation with the European Union, which has also developed similar activity (European Union Naval Force [EU NAVFOR] Somalia – Operation Atalanta).
The coordination of anti-piracy operations and other programs has been undertaken by the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS). The Contact Group is a U.S. initiative, based on a UN Security Council resolution (1851/2008), and met for the first time in New York (14.1.2009), with the participation of organizations and countries that sent naval formations to the regions and of states with an important regional role. The Group works as an informal information and proposal exchange mechanism and has the capability of harmonizing individual actions and evaluating their effectiveness, without questioning their autonomy. In 2014, the EU will take over the presidency of the Group. The Group is strengthened by the mechanisms of the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction mechanism (SHADE) and the Capacity Building Coordination Platform (CBCP), facilitating cooperation among international naval forces and coordinating capacity-building programs.
Meanwhile, global Shipping is constantly adjusting its actions with regard to the measures for self-protection of vessels. The Directory of Practical Advice (Best Management Practices Version 4-BMP4) was last updated and enriched in August 2011. Some countries have amended their legislation to allow for Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel – PCASP).
Greece is a founding member of the Contact Group and exercised its presidency during the first 6 months of 2010. It also commanded the “Atalanta” operation (December 2008-April 2009), contributing the frigate “Hydra” until March 2012. The Greek authorities have instituted criminal proceedings against people who have seized ships under the Greek flag. Meanwhile, there is development in the cooperation of NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC) in Sweden with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under the initiative Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC), providing training to staff of DCoC member-states (Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros Islands, South Africa, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Somalia and Yemen).
On the level of national legislation, law 4058/16.03.2012 regulates the presence of armed guards on mercantile vessels. Its adoption is considered critical to the protection of the lives of crews, of ships, and of our merchant shipping in general, as the predominately extroverted pillar of our national economy. It contains provisions regarding the obligations of foreign-flag vessels carrying private armed security guards (e.g., notification of Greek authorities 24 hours before the entering Greek Territorial Waters).
Current Situation: The pirate activity off Somalia is at its lowest point since 2006. Characteristically, it is noted that the last successful attack against a large vessel occurred in 2013, while no large vessel is currently under seizure.
The decline in this phenomenon is attributed to the effective international naval presence, to vessels’ implementation of Best Management Practices (BMP), and to the increased implementation of the measure of having private armed security guards on board vessels. Meanwhile, the steady improvement of the situation in Somalia continues – with the active support of the international community and regional factors – mainly in the fields of national reconciliation, institution building and consolidation of democracy, with the adoption of the federal constitution in 2015, and the elections of 2016.
Despite the progress that has been made, it is a commonly accepted that the fragile situation in the area requires continue vigilance. The positive results of the last 18 months may suffer reversal if the root causes of the problem are not treated. For this reason, the international efforts aim to support the Federal Government of Somalia, so that it can regain control of its land territory, initially, and then the sea.
B. Gulf of Guinea
The decline of the phenomenon of piracy off the coast of Somalia coincided with the outbreak of rather violent incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the region of the gulf of Guinea. During the first 9 months of 2013, the International Maritime Bureau recorded more than 40 pirate attacks, 7 of which developed into the seizure of ships, with 132 seamen taken captive.
UN Security Council Resolution 2018 (2011) and 1039 (2012) set down the concerns of the international community, urging states in the region to work on the national and regional level to confront the phenomenon systematically, with the practical support of the international community. Following a proposal from Greece, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is considering the issuing of a Resolution on prevention and combating of piracy and armed robbery in West African waters.
United Nations
The Security Council has taken the leading role by introducing the Counter-Terrorism Committee, which oversees the implementation of counter-terrorism policy.
In 2005, the UN Secretary General proceeded to the introduction of the Counter Terrorism Implementation Task force for the combating of Terrorism, an organ which oversees the involvement of all the services of the UN. In September 2005, Resolutions 1624 was adopted by the Security Council, condemning every form of terrorist action regardless of origin and prohibiting committing terrorist attacks.
The international contractual framework on Terrorism is determined by the 16 UN Conventions, which contain the general guidelines and overall political thinking against terrorism.
In September 2006, the General Assembly voted for the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy. This strategy consists of the central political text of the UN and the partial issues of antiterrorist policies created based on this. The Strategy text has been revised three times (2008, 2010, 2012).
EUROPEAN UNION: The European Union Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted in November 2005, is a ground-breaking EU text on terrorism. It includes 4 basic goals in the sections on prevention, protection, repression, and resolving terrorist incidents.
The EU Counter Terrorism Coordinator is the ad hoc coordinator for the harmonization of national practices and policies pursued by the EU on the issue of terrorism.
GREEK INITIATIVE: Greece has signed all of the international legal instruments on Terrorism. Since 1991, our country has also been a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental organization that aims to promote policies. In this framework, all necessary measures are taken in the direction of preventing financing for terrorism on the level of national legislation. Based on Law 3932/2011 an Independent Authority operates to combat the financing of terrorism.
In the context of the upcoming Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU, our country is called upon to take a leading role in the promotion of EU policies in the field of combating terrorism. The first semester of 2014 is expected to see the completion of the regular revision of the Global Antiterrorist Strategy.
COMBATING PIRACY
Pirate attacks on commercial vessels threaten the free and proper conduct of international shipping and trade off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Guinea. According to the relevant annual report of the “Oceans Beyond Piracy” organization, the damage to the global economy due to the costs of piracy off Somalia in 2012 amounted to between 5.7 and 6.1 billion dollars. The cost of piracy is particularly high for captive seamen – who are deprived of their freedom, sometimes for months, or their lives – and their families.
A. Region off the coast of Somalia
International Reaction: In reaction to the heightened threat of pirate attacks on the Gulf of Aden, the UN Security Council proceeded to take a series of resolutions, the first being 1816 (2008), while many countries (including the USA, China, Russia, India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore) sent naval forces. NATO operates in the region (NATO Operation Ocean Shield) in cooperation with the European Union, which has also developed similar activity (European Union Naval Force [EU NAVFOR] Somalia – Operation Atalanta).
The coordination of anti-piracy operations and other programs has been undertaken by the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS). The Contact Group is a U.S. initiative, based on a UN Security Council resolution (1851/2008), and met for the first time in New York (14.1.2009), with the participation of organizations and countries that sent naval formations to the regions and of states with an important regional role. The Group works as an informal information and proposal exchange mechanism and has the capability of harmonizing individual actions and evaluating their effectiveness, without questioning their autonomy. In 2014, the EU will take over the presidency of the Group. The Group is strengthened by the mechanisms of the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction mechanism (SHADE) and the Capacity Building Coordination Platform (CBCP), facilitating cooperation among international naval forces and coordinating capacity-building programs.
Meanwhile, global Shipping is constantly adjusting its actions with regard to the measures for self-protection of vessels. The Directory of Practical Advice (Best Management Practices Version 4-BMP4) was last updated and enriched in August 2011. Some countries have amended their legislation to allow for Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel – PCASP).
Greece is a founding member of the Contact Group and exercised its presidency during the first 6 months of 2010. It also commanded the “Atalanta” operation (December 2008-April 2009), contributing the frigate “Hydra” until March 2012. The Greek authorities have instituted criminal proceedings against people who have seized ships under the Greek flag. Meanwhile, there is development in the cooperation of NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC) in Sweden with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under the initiative Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC), providing training to staff of DCoC member-states (Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros Islands, South Africa, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Somalia and Yemen).
On the level of national legislation, law 4058/16.03.2012 regulates the presence of armed guards on mercantile vessels. Its adoption is considered critical to the protection of the lives of crews, of ships, and of our merchant shipping in general, as the predominately extroverted pillar of our national economy. It contains provisions regarding the obligations of foreign-flag vessels carrying private armed security guards (e.g., notification of Greek authorities 24 hours before the entering Greek Territorial Waters).
Current Situation: The pirate activity off Somalia is at its lowest point since 2006. Characteristically, it is noted that the last successful attack against a large vessel occurred in 2013, while no large vessel is currently under seizure.
The decline in this phenomenon is attributed to the effective international naval presence, to vessels’ implementation of Best Management Practices (BMP), and to the increased implementation of the measure of having private armed security guards on board vessels. Meanwhile, the steady improvement of the situation in Somalia continues – with the active support of the international community and regional factors – mainly in the fields of national reconciliation, institution building and consolidation of democracy, with the adoption of the federal constitution in 2015, and the elections of 2016.
Despite the progress that has been made, it is a commonly accepted that the fragile situation in the area requires continue vigilance. The positive results of the last 18 months may suffer reversal if the root causes of the problem are not treated. For this reason, the international efforts aim to support the Federal Government of Somalia, so that it can regain control of its land territory, initially, and then the sea.
B. Gulf of Guinea
The decline of the phenomenon of piracy off the coast of Somalia coincided with the outbreak of rather violent incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the region of the gulf of Guinea. During the first 9 months of 2013, the International Maritime Bureau recorded more than 40 pirate attacks, 7 of which developed into the seizure of ships, with 132 seamen taken captive.
UN Security Council Resolution 2018 (2011) and 1039 (2012) set down the concerns of the international community, urging states in the region to work on the national and regional level to confront the phenomenon systematically, with the practical support of the international community. Following a proposal from Greece, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is considering the issuing of a Resolution on prevention and combating of piracy and armed robbery in West African waters.
Source: http://www.mfa.gr/en/foreign-policy/global-issues/terrorism.html
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