SPEECH BY MR RAYMOND LIM,

MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND

SECOND MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

AT THE LAUNCH OF THE

RECAAP INFORMATION SHARING CENTRE,

29 NOVEMBER 2006, 3.15 PM,

AT MARINA MANDARIN HOTEL

 

 

Your Excellencies,

 

Distinguished guests,

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

 

1.                  It is a pleasure for me to join you this afternoon for the launch of the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre.  For Singapore and our regional partners, who I am pleased to welcome here today, this centre bears great significance both in the area of multilateral co-operation and progress towards our common objective of combating piracy in Asia. 

 

Shipping in Asia

 

2.                  The economic growth of Asia has propelled us to become one of the most important maritime regions in the world.  Fuelled by the growth of China and India, and the revival of the Japanese economy, the centre of gravity in world trade has shifted to Asia.  The Asian region now accounts for more than a quarter of the world’s trade in value.  Since 90% of world trade is carried by sea, it is not surprising that Asia now hosts 8 of the top 10 ports in the world by cargo tonnage.  Asian container liners constitute about 45% of the total capacity of the top 20 liner operators in the world and Asian owners command 50% of the world’s fleet of bulk carriers.  Looking forward, the continued growth of the Asian economy will hinge crucially on our ability to sustain an environment within which trade and shipping activities can continue to flourish.  The need to ensure the safety and security of our key shipping lanes will intensify, as the global security landscape evolves and becomes more complex.  Maritime security has therefore become a subject demanding urgent attention.

 

Piracy – A Common Threat

 

3.                  The problem of piracy has threatened maritime safety and security ever since the early days of seafaring.  However, the piracy that we know today has evolved. The pirates of the 21st century are now more sophisticated and advanced.  Some use machine guns and rocket launchers.  There have been reports of pirates boarding unsuspecting ships disguised as military or security personnel. 

 

4.                  Asia, being home to major shipping lanes like the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, has recognized the need to fight piracy collectively.  Since the launch of various security initiatives undertaken by regional countries, I am heartened to note that the number of piracy attacks in Asia for the first nine months of this year has dropped to 106, a 17% decline from the same period last year.  The recent decision by the Lloyd’s Joint War Committee to remove the Malacca Straits from its list of war risk areas was a welcome acknowledgement of the cooperation between the littoral states on Straits security. 

 

5.                  But there is no room for complacency.  Given the trans-national nature and growing sophistication of piracy attacks, we must continue to be vigilant and strengthen inter-governmental cooperation to combat this common threat.

 

ReCAAP – A significant step forward in the fight against piracy

 

6.                  The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, or ReCAAP, is therefore a critical and timely initiative to bring the fight against piracy to the next level.  Initiated by the former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2001, this agreement was collectively formulated amongst 16 regional countries, namely the 10 ASEAN member States, Japan, China, Korea, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. 

 

7.                  ReCAAP marks the first time in which regional governments have come together in a concerted effort to establish a formalized platform to tackle the problem of maritime piracy in Asia.  It therefore represents the collective vision and commitment of these countries towards greater cooperation, coordination and sharing of information, resources and expertise, to prevent and suppress piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia effectively.   

 

8.                  This significant initiative has been welcomed by the region, with 14 Asian countries having ratified the ReCAAP Agreement to date, namely, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.  This is a strong vote of confidence for ReCAAP.  In addition, the entry into force of ReCAAP on 4 September 2006 has also been welcomed by countries and international organisations from around the world.  On this occasion, I would like to thank and commend our Japanese counterparts for their leadership and efforts in bringing about this important platform.  As a result of Japan’s vision, and the commitment of the regional countries to institutionalize our cooperation towards fighting piracy, we have now reached a significant milestone. 

 

The Information Sharing Centre – Realisation of a Vision

 

9.                  The Information Sharing Centre, or ISC, that will be launched today, is a central element of the ReCAAP initiative.  It is the first dedicated international organisation set up to harness the collective resources and expertise of regional governments to combat piracy.  As the central platform for co-operation amongst the participating countries, the ISC has three important roles. 

 

10.             Firstly, it will facilitate information exchange and operational cooperation between regional governments.  To this end, I am pleased to note that a secure web-based system known as the Information Network System has been developed, and will be showcased by the developer, ST Electronics, during the reception that follows this launch. 

 

11.             Secondly, the ISC will conduct critical analysis on the piracy situation in Asia, which will in turn enable countries to gain a better understanding of the trends and nature of the piracy threat in the region.  Such reports will also be shared periodically with the shipping community, to assist the industry in determining the appropriate precautionary measures to employ.  Lastly, the centre will support capacity-building efforts among countries, in order to improve national responses to piracy incidents. 

 

12.             As a demonstration of the importance that we place on the work of the ISC, Singapore has funded the entire start-up costs of the Centre and committed to funding its annual operating costs.  Japan, too, has made generous contributions.  In particular, I would like to extend my appreciation for Japan’s commitment to provide close to S$200 000 of funding to the ISC for the remaining of Financial Year 2006.

 

13.             I also understand that there are a good number of offers by participating countries to second their nationals to the Centre.  Such strong and forthcoming support for the ISC augurs well for the success of the Centre. We look forward to the continued support and contribution from all countries in the years ahead. 

 

Conclusion

 

14.             Ladies and Gentlemen, ReCAAP sends a strong and important signal that Asia is serious about tackling piracy, and that we share a common interest in ensuring that our key regional waterways remain open and secure for shipping.  Today’s launch of the ISC marks the beginning of a journey, and there is much work ahead of us.  But we are off to a good start, and I am confident that based on this new foundation of cooperation, we will be able to make greater strides in ensuring the security of Asian sealanes.

 

15.             Thank you.

 

 

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