On October 9 , the EUCAP Nestor Head of Mission, Etienne de Poncins, officially handed overto the Minister of Justice and Penitentiary Affairs, in charge of human rights, in the presence of the Secretary-General and members of the EUCAP Nestor Mission a report on the legal framework of maritime safety regulations in Djibouti.
This report was prepared by the Legal Counsel of EUCAP Nestor, Emilie Padellec, made available to the department and works directly under the authority of the Secretary General AbdiHersi.
“This report will be an opportunity to launch a working group on the issue of maritime security, which is one of the important concerns of our authorities at the highest level,” the minister saidat the presentation of the report.
The document outlines the legal framework for maritime security in Djibouti, seen asinstitutionally, operationally and normative. The objectives are as follows:
• to present the judicial system applicable to Djibouti, particularly its criminal, to consider possible improvements;
• to make a point about the legal framework of maritime safety and security in Djibouti, including piracy, and to propose the necessary amendments;
• to study the texts establishing the agencies responsible for the safety and maritime security in order to maximize the sharing of their skills and their effectiveness.
After his release, the report will be subject to a roundtable discussion with the concerned authorities of the Republic of Djibouti in order to set a priority list and a work plan.
“Thanks to its strategic position and its strong political commitment to stability in the region,Djibouti has taken a leadership role in terms of maritime security. At this moment three training activities organized by EUCAP Nestor stand on the territory of the Republic of Djibouti: a regional legal training, training for port authorities of Mogadishu and basic training to Somalicoastguard (Puntland, Galmudug and federal Government).
The implementation of the recommendations that have been accepted by the authorities ofDjibouti from this comprehensive report will reinforce yet Djibouti leadership on maritimesecurity, “said the Head of Mission EUCAP Nestor, Etienne de Poncins.
Background
EUCAP Nestor is a European mission to common security policy and defense which is headquartered in Djibouti, which covers four countries in the Horn of Africa and Western Indian Ocean, including Somalia and its regions, Seychelles, Tanzania and Djibouti. Its role: Assisting host countries to develop an autonomous capacity to strengthen, continuously, their maritimesecurity, including the fight against piracy and maritime governance. It offers in this part of the training, mentoring and advice in three areas of expertise: legal, maritime, police.
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