TOPIC: THE HUMAN FACE OF MARINE PIRACY: CONSEQUENCES AND POLICY OPTIONS 

Karachi, Pakistan, February – March 2012

Introduction

The event is a three – day international working conference to be held in Karachi, Pakistan, from 29 February till 2 March 2012 to address the impact of marine piracy on seafarers, their families, their employers and their communities.  The event is organized and hosted by the Fazaldad Human Rights Institute, Islamabad, National Centre, for Maritime Policy Research at Bahria University in Karachi (http://ncmpr.bimcs.edu.pk). Pakistan (www.fazaldad.com) in partnership with the PIRACY project at Dalhousie University Halifax, Canada (http://marineaffairsprogam.dal.ca/MAP_Projects/ PIRACY_Project/) and sponsored by Near East South Asia Centre for Strategic Studies, Washington, USA.

Aim

To provide an opportunity to individuals and organizations who have been, are, or may be affected by marine piracy, to share experiences, exchange ideas and develop counter-piracy policy options to minimise its affects an human faces.

Goals

1.         To identify qualitative and quantitative human and socio-economic impacts of marine piracy.

2.         To identify actions that stakeholders can take cooperatively to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from, marine piracy incidents.

Participation

Participation in a Core Working Group of approximately 40 people from eight countries is by invitation, however faculty and students from Bahria University, along with other interested individuals, will be invited to attend plenary sessions.  Invited Core Working Group members to date come from Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Sri Lanka, Canada and the United Kingdom, and include:

• Director General, International Maritime Bureau, Capt. Pottengal Mukundan
• Director General, Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency
• Former Commander of Multinational Counter – Piracy Combined Task Force 151
• Director, Dalhousie University Marine PIRACY Project
• Operational Commander of the arrest of MV Alondra Rainbow, (a retired Indian Navy Vice Admiral)
• Former Master of the hijacked merchant vessel MV Suez
• Negotiator of the release of MV Suez
• An experienced Admiralty lawyer (who is also a Master Mariner and former High Court judge)
• Head of Pakistan’s largest shipping company
• Head of an Indian shipping company
• Head of a Bangladesh shipping company
• Head of Karachi fishermen’s cooperative
• Human rights workers dealing with seafarers welfare
• P&I Club expert

Other participants will include facilitators and researchers from Dalhousie University’s Dalhousie PIRACY Project, National Centre for Maritime Policy Research Pakistan and the sponsoring Near East and South Asia Center.

Issues

Invitations have been issued, and planning for discussion is based on, priorities identified by the Fazaldad Human Rights Institute and the Dalhousie Research Project and National Centre for Maritime Policy Research (Pakistan).  These include, but are not limited to:

• First-hand experiences of merchant and fishing seafarers who have been victims of pirates
• Perspectives of unions representing seafarers
• Perspectives of ship owners
• Insurance issues, including hull, war risk and kidnap/ransom policies
• Negotiations with pirates
• Legal and command and control issues surrounding arming of vessels
• Best practices – what is works and what does not
• Legal issues surrounding defence against, and the detention and prosecution of pirates
• Similarities and differences in national policies and priorities with respect to piracy
• Arrangements for post – traumatic stress care and post – incident welfare for affected mariners
• The differing nature of piracy in different ocean regions
• Root causes and long-term solutions to piracy

OUTLINE PROGRAM

Day 1, 29 February

Morning Session - The Experience of Piracy:

     Afternoon Session - The Human and Social Costs of Piracy

Day 2, 1 March

     Morning Session - Perspectives on the Impact

Afternoon Session - Common Experiences, Common Interests

Day3, 2 March

Morning Session - Managing the Problem

Afternoon Session - Prevention Mitigation, Response, Recovery Defining a Way Ahead

Conference Dates: February 29, March 1 &  2, 2012

CONFERENCE VENUE

National Centre for Maritime Policy Research (NCMPR)

  Bahria University Karachi Campus

  13, National Stadium Road, Karachi

  Pakistan.

  FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT AT NCMPR KARACHI

  Lt Cdr Adil Rashid PN

  Ag Director

  Ms. Naghmana Zafar

  Staff Officer (Research)

  National Centre for Maritime Policy Research,

  at Bahria University

  13, National Stadium Road, Karachi

  Pakistan

  Phone: +92 21 348503751-3, 99240816, 99240002-4 Ext 263, 255

  Fax:      +92 21 39240351

  E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

  FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT CONFERENCE SECRETARIAT AT ISLAMABAD PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW:

www.fazaldad.com