Global's BMP - Annex C

Asian Region

General

Acts of piracy and armed robbery have occurred in the straits of Malacca and Singapore, the southern portion of the South China Sea, the Sulu-Celebes Seas and at certain ports and anchorages in Asia.

Region-specific guidance for the Asian region is provided in Regional Guide to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia.

Reporting

The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) is the first regional government-to-government agreement to promote and enhance cooperation against piracy and armed robbery in Asia. Under the Agreement, the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC) was launched in Singapore in November 2006. It was formally recognized as an international organization in January 2007. To date, 20 States have become Contracting Parties to ReCAAP.

Under the Agreement, Coastal States undertake the ownership to suppress piracy and armed robbery against ships, thus the reporting of incidents is based on this principle. The ReCAAP ISC strongly recommends the victim ship to report immediately the incident to the nearest Coastal State through its MRCC, in accordance with the IMO/MSC Circular 1334. The Coastal State is urged to undertake appropriate response. ReCAAP Focal Point of the Coastal State shares the verified information of incident through the Information Network System with the ReCAAP ISC and other Focal Points on a 24/7 basis. Based on the verified information, the ReCAAP ISC issues a warning and/or an alert, as appropriate.

The Information Fusion Centre (IFC) is a multi-national maritime security information centre based in Singapore. It has international liaison officers from the of more than 10 countries working at the 63centre. The IFC aims to achieve early warning of maritime security threats through information-sharing cooperation with its partners to facilitate timely operational responses. Best Management Practice should be followed where practicable, taking into account inputs from the local maritime security agencies.

The Singapore IFC voluntary registration and reporting scheme is well established. This VRA is extremely large and should be considered in conjunction with the IFC listed ‘areas of concern’ and guidance provided when preparing a risk assessment. In the event of a suspicious approach or an actual attack, the Master should contact the nearest coastal State through its MRCC. Reporting requirements in Asia are complex and full details are contained in the Admiralty Charts Q6112 and Q6113.