Officially launching the Maritime Communications Initiative a memorandum of understanding was signed September 10 at the Taipei Representative Office in Brussels by Dr. Tung Kuo-yu, Taiwan’s Representative to the EU and Belgium, and Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent, Senior Fellow of Oceans Beyond Piracy.
At the recommendation of the European Union, Taiwan provided Oceans Beyond Piracy with a grant of US$166,000 for the Maritime Communications Initiative for the purpose of enhancing maritime communications in Somalia. This donation will be used to establish maritime security centres in five Somali ports over a two-year period.
Oceans Beyond Piracy has been working with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, EUCAP Nestor (a European mission to enhance the maritime capacities of countries in the Horn of Africa), UN Food and Agriculture Organization, EU Naval Force, and US African Command to improve awareness of maritime security and maritime communications capacities across Somalia. The donation from Taiwan will help Oceans Beyond Piracy supply communications equipment and sustainable power options to the five maritime security centres and collaborate with the above partners to ensure maritime security.
Taiwan has proved itself a major humanitarian and development aid donor in recent years by offering emergency assistance to victims of natural disasters, funding agricultural projects, and providing emergency medical assistance. This donation, again, shows that Taiwan is willing to cooperate as much as possible with members of the international community, make tangible contributions to international humanitarian aid efforts and promote international security.
By: N. Peter Kramer
