Review article
https://doi.org/10.21857/ygjwrcpj4y
The Gulf of Guinea: A Piracy Hot Spot and a New Threat to the International Safety of Navigation
Petra Amižić Jelovčić
orcid.org/0000-0002-4377-1206
; Pravni fakultet Sveučilišta u Splitu, Split, Hrvatska
Abstract
Contemporary piracy is one of the most significant threats to the safety of navigation. In recent years, the piracy hot spot has moved from the Gulf of Aden to the Gulf of Guinea, which is nowadays known as the most dangerous navigation area in the world. Based on the experience of active and passive measures applied in the Gulf of Aden, countries from the Gulf of Aden region, in cooperation with the international community, have adopted a series of regulations and agreements with the goal of suppressing piracy in the aforementioned area. The most important among them are UN resolutions on the Gulf of Guinea, the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, the African Union Charter on Maritime Security and Safety and Development in Africa, the Act on the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Best Management Practices, West Africa. Furthermore, marine security operations undertaken in this region, under the auspices of NATO and the EU, have made an immeasurable contribution to combating marine piracy. The EU has proven to be an irreplaceable partner to the countries of the region in the fight not only against piracy but also against other international crimes that occur there on a daily basis. Consequently, in order to protect its interests in that part of the world and to contribute to international maritime security, the EU is making great efforts to prevent piracy attacks and armed robbery through the adoption of different legal instruments and through active participation in marine operations. In this article, the author gives an overview of the most relevant international documents adopted for the purpose of suppressing pirate attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, with special regard to the role of the EU.
Keywords
the Gulf of Guinea; Yaoundé Code of Conduct; African Union Charter on Maritime Security and Safety and Development in Africa; Act on the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; BMP WA; EU Strategy on the Gulf of Guinea; EU Action Plan on the Gulf of Guinea; Strategic Compass of the EU
Hrčak ID:
312319
URI
Publication date:
27.12.2023.
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