Topic: International Cooperation in Combatting Piracy
Country: Nigeria
Delegate Name: Raphael Bahlbi
School: Grand Rapids City High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Nigeria position papers GLIMUN 2015 committees
The Federal Republic of Nigeria firmly believes that the increasing threat of pirates demands international attention. Nigeria is experiencing a quickly increasing problem with pirates appearing in the Gulf of Guinea. In 2009 a peace treaty was signed between the Nigerian government and the Movement of the Niger Delta; since then the ex-militants have gone on to plague Nigeria as pirates.
Since 2011, over 30 ships sailing in the Gulf of Guinea have been hijacked. As of now, 100 sailors have been kidnapped, pulling Nigeria ahead of Somalia as the most pirated nation in the world today. However, unlike Somalian pirates, Nigerian pirates steal crude oil off tanker ships to sell them on the black market. This is why it is important we battle it as an international community. In April of 2013, the African Union began funding extra security forces to increase defensive measures against the pirates. Unfortunately, none of the efforts on decreasing the number of pirates in Gulf of Guinea have been unsuccessful. Therefore it is crucial we come to a resolution to cooperate internationally in combatting piracy.
The definition of piracy according to the International Maritime Bureau is defined as “the act of boarding any vessel with intent to commit theft or any other crime, and with an intent or capacity to use furtherance of that act”. Nigeria loses approximately 12 billion dollars annually due to piracy which affects the global economy. Therefore it should be of utmost importance to the international community to help combat piracy for countries globally.
The best method of decreasing piracy is to increase security along the coasts of countries affected. In 2008 the UN deployed Navies across the Gulf of Aden that included NATO, the EU, and US operations. The Pirates adapted to these tactics and changed their method of operations, but as the Atlantic Council stated, “"The current military response–with only a handful of navy ships available to provide protection on any given day–has just been a sticking plaster on a gaping wound,". The past attempts made to combat piracy highlight why it is important for us to combat piracy with international cooperation. With these methods we can effectively decrease and decimate piracy and stop the suffering that nations all over the world have felt due to pirates. The Federal Republic of Nigeria urges the UN to come to a resolution increasing security in pirate infested waters.
