Maritime security and piracy are growing concerns for the world and it is the need of the hour for the like minded to come up with a solution. The Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar takes this opportunity to provide a platform by virtue of this Global Maritime Security and Anti-Piracy Conference to the scholars of all disciplines to be a part of the solution.
The conference is to be held from the 26 - 27 November 2011 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat and expects bureaucrats, ambassadors and academicians among the others to attend the conference. It is hoped that the nexus of ideas would simulate affirmative action in enhancing maritime security and ensuring safe maritime domain for flourishing trade combating evils of the sea.
The issue of maritime security has become a matter of concern nowadays. The focus of many international and national organizations has been shifting more towards increasing security of the maritime commons. These has been reflected in the mission sta5tement of the international maritime organization which reads – “To promote safe, secure environmentally sound efficient and sustainable shipping through so operation.”
It is estimated that 90 percent of the world trade is carried by sea, which emphasis more on the need of security. Terrorist acts, events of piracy have been particularly occurring in vulnerable areas of strategic importance causing severe disruption in world trade. But no conventions of any organization s expressly refer to the notion of maritime security. But they do emphasize on inter-governmental co-operation to ensure maritime safety. The current threat is having a greater impact on the global economy, as a record breaking dollar 1.87 trillion worth of goods are exported by US alone each year. With such an extensive amount of trade going on keeping world sea lanes, harbors and ports safe are critical to all nations. Transitional threats such as piracy, drug trade, human trafficking and international terrorism are daunting challenges to the world community. Over 88 percent of the illegal narcotic drugs of the world are transported from African and Asian continent the rest of the world. The human trafficking network through sea routes has gross revenue of dollar seven billion to dollar 10 billion each year. Post the Mumbai terrorist attacks 26/11 it is evident that coastlines are porous to terrorist attacks. The fact that around 2.2 billion of the world population resides with in 100 km of the coastline only aggravates the problem.
Maritime security is an increasing international problem and requires international solution. No single nation has the sovereignty, capacity or control over assets, resources or venues from which transitional threats a can be dealt with. And therefore it requires close co-operation between likeminded nations to eliminate such threats from their root. The success of such co-operation would lead to unity among the diverse nations and other participants. It is important for all the nations to work out an arrangement to safe guard the global maritime domain, with due regards to capacities and limitations of the existing socio-economic-legal order of each state.