From 11 to 12 October, the European Union Naval Forces Operation ATALANTA co-chaired this forum with Combined Maritime Forces to discuss about maritime security and Capacity Building (CB).
The EU Naval Forces (EUNAVFOR) Operation ATALANTA, in partnership with Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), hosted the 51st SHADE Conference in the Gulf Hotel in Manama (Bahrein), on 11 and 12 October 2023.
The Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) forum was established in December 2008 to enable coordination between international stakeholders as a means to share 'best practices', conduct informal discussions of nations and organizations involved in military counter-piracy operations in the region. Over time, SHADE has evolved to the needs and concerns of all participants in the forum, presenting the multiple risks and threats that exist in the complex area of operations.
The 51st edition of the SHADE began with opening remarks by the Chiefs of Staff of EUNAVFOR and CMF, Captain Rafael Torrecillas and Captain Hamish Kirkland respectively, who highlighted the value of this forum today more than ever due to the complex strategic situation of the region on which this forum is focused. After reviewing the proceedings of the previous edition of the forum, the different participants took the floor. Vice Admiral (VADM) Emmanuel Slaars, Operations Commander of the AGENOR, Military Operation of European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH), presented the missions of EMASOH-AGENOR, current activities and challenges. Mr Martin Cauchi, Head of the Critical Maritime Routes Indo-Pacific (CRIMARIO II) project, spoke about the Indian Ocean Regional Information Sharing (IORIS) platform, evolution and challenges.
After these presentations it was the turn of Mr Leo Jarry, from Conflict Armament Research, Mr Kiruja Micheni, Project Manager of the Djiboutian Code of Conduct (DCoC) from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr Robert Peter from AMBREY, Mr Andrew Howe from SKYLIGHT and the Panel Experts from Somalia. Also participated in the event through VTC Professor Robert McCabe, from the Institute for Peace and Security at Coventry University, provided an update on maritime security from the academic point of view.
In the first day of the forum, there was a special panel in which the Operation Commander from ATALANTA VADM Núñez Torrente, EMASOH OPCDR VDAM Slaars and CAPT Devore, as CMF representative, participated. The topic was their thoughts on Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean and the relationship among these Operation. Vice Admiral Núñez highlighted that the end state of EUNAVFOR is an implementation of maritime security throughout the region by the coastal countries of the area themselves. Until such time ATALANTA will always be ready to support in the establishment of such security.
Also participating in this session were representatives of independent deployers in the region, such as India, Japan and China. Moreover, representatives from the EUNAVFOR Maritime Security Center – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA), the Regional Coordination Operation Center (RCOC), from Seychelles, the Information Fusion Center (IFC) from Singapore, and Information Fusion Center – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) from India took part in the maritime security panel.
The second day of the 51st SHADE forum was focused on capacity building and enhancement efforts. Commander Carlos Carrasco, from EUNAVFOR, introduced the workshop and presented the capacity building activities carried out by Operation ATALANTA, highlighting the ALDABRA II exercise conducted in Seychelles from 18 to 23 September 2023. Lieutenant Commander Alec Emmert, from CMF, introduced the Combined Task Force (CTF) 154 that has the Maritime Security Enhancement Training (MSET) mission. He spoke about Exercise NORTHERN READINESS (NR)/ SOUTHERN READINESS (SR) and ALDABRA II exercises as outstanding success examples of synergies achieved by both CMF and ATALANTA.
Finally, Mr Bjorn Beirens from CRIMARIO II spoke about the IORIS platform implementation in the regional actors and Mr Stefan Sivaro from EUCAP Somalia, explaining their capacity building activities in Somalia, especially in Maritime Security and the close cooperation with EUNAVFOR in this regard. The last speaker was Mr David O'Connell from United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC), who spoke about UNODC's activities against multiple threats, including piracy, drug trafficking and IUU fishing
The need for better coordination among all maritime security actors in relation to support for the development and enhancement of capabilities in the coastal states is highlighted as a key conclusion. This better coordination, led by the DCoC-JA, will help to maximize efforts and avoid duplication. The NR/SR and ALDRABRA exercises in this framework are also considered a success. Another important conclusion is the need to remain vigilant, with the increase of suspicious incidents in the area being a concerning indicator. Piracy has been suppressed, but a resurgence may occur if the criminal networks have the opportunity. To this end, the Best Management Practices (BMP) are the best way to ensure the protection of any merchant vessel in transit in the area.
The success of this edition has encouraged the preparation of a new edition in 2024, SHADE 52nd. This forum will continue to bring together representatives of numerous nations, international organisations and members of the shipping industry to discuss maritime security issues throughout the Western Indian Ocean, and is therefore considered an example of civil-military cooperation.
