UNODC Chief to undertake counter-piracy mission to East Africa

For information only - not an official document

UNIS/CP/692
14 November 2012

Media Advisory

VIENNA, 14 November (UN Information Service) - The UNODC Executive Director, Yury Fedotov, will shortly begin a 10-day counter-piracy mission to East Africa.

During the mission, Mr. Fedotov will see, at first hand, piracy's impact and UNODC's response under its counter-piracy programme, as well as with its partners, including countries in East Africa. He will also discuss the issue with heads of state and ministers, counter-piracy and organized crime experts, and UNODC staff in the region. Mr. Fedotov will see how the reduced number of successful piracy attacks can be consolidated and how Somalia can he helped to address this issue through its own criminal justice response.

Piracy is a complex challenge to the safety and security of weak and fragile economies in the East African region. Based on UNODC's information, maritime pirates received between US$28 to USD$33 million in ransoms in 2012. The cost of a single ransom is around US$5 million, although it may be as much as US$10 million. The pirates operate not just off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden, but deep into the Indian Ocean and as far south as Mozambique and Madagascar.

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For all local and regional media please contact:

Alan Cole
Regional Coordinator, Counter Piracy Programme, UNODC
Telephone: (+254) 20 762 1890
Mobile: (+254) 716 430445
Email: alan.cole[at]unodc.org

For international media inquiries contact:

David Dadge
Spokesperson, UNODC
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-5629
Mobile: (+43-699) 1459-5629
Email: david.dadge[at]unvienna.org

Source: http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/pressrels/2012/uniscp692.html

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