CMS and UNODC's Global Maritime Crime Programme initiate a collaborative partnership

On October 1st, Centre for Military Studies and UNODC's Global Maritime Crime Programme initiated a collaborative partnership focused on maritime crime trends in the Indian Ocean region.

The project background is that although piracy off the coast of Somalia has declined, there is still a risk that it may reappear. In addition to this, other forms of maritime crime, such as the smuggling of heroin, have increased, and issues around Illegal Fishery remains a key concern for states in the region.

The collaborative CMS/UNODC project has two aims. First, to analyse and qualify the developments of maritime crime in the Indian Ocean region. Second, to evaluate UNODC's past activities in the region, focusing specifically on activities that Denmark, through the Peace and Stabilization Fund, has supported. Based on the evaluation and the trends-analysis, the aim of the project is to offer insights that can help inform decisions about future engagements in the region.

The results will be presented in the form of a report. In addition to this, CMS and UNODC will, during the course of the coming year, host a number of seminars and workshops focused on maritime crime in the Indian Ocean region.