Note from IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim

The Djibouti Code of Conduct was adopted in 2009. Since then, the work to implement the Code has resulted in a culture of cooperation that has been most successful in containing the threat of piracy. The adoption of the Jeddah Amendment in 2017 brought in a comprehensive approach to dealing with broader threats to maritime security and the root causes, setting a strong foundation for sustainable development of the maritime sector thus ensuring sustainable economic growth, food security, employment, prosperity and stability in the West Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.

Several accomplishments achieved over the last decade under the Code, including the establishment of a functioning network of Information Sharing Centres; a regional training coordination mechanism that has benefitted 1678 students thus far; and the enhancement of Maritime Domain Awareness. Many of the regional States have reviewed their laws to include piracy as a crime that can be punished nationally and there is now greater awareness of the need to be able to enforce national laws in the maritime domain; and a growing number of coastal maritime surveillance systems have been implemented that are assisting the small naval and coastguard forces in the region to focus their limited resources where they are most needed and to conduct an increasing number of cooperative operations at sea.

But we cannot afford to be complacent.

Key to the success of the Code is the effective implementation of the commitments made by each of the participating States to establish a national organization to promote inter-agency cooperation, and the development of national capability as the foundation for stronger regional cooperation. This will lead to improved regional maritime security, law enforcement and governance capabilities and thus facilitate maritime sector development and a sustainable blue economy, within the context of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

I would like to thank those donor States that have contributed generously in supporting IMO to carry out this work. We could not have done this without the goodwill and commitment of our partners and the regional States. We have built a level of trust and understanding that has allowed us to form new maritime links across a broad number of regional agencies and ministries as well as with international partners.

IMO remains committed to assisting Member States by building on the achievements made in working towards further enhancing  maritime security, law enforcement and governance capabilities and thus facilitating maritime sector development.

Mr. Kitack Lim, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization

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