INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORG SEEKS UNSC SUPPORT ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 002834 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE IO/T FOR LAURENCE TOBEY L-OES FOR J. ASHLEY ROACH AF/E FOR N GAREY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR MOPS SO UK SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORG SEEKS UNSC SUPPORT ON SOMALIA PIRACY REF: LONDON 02302 ¶1. (SBU) International Maritime Organization Secretary General Mitropoulos sent a letter on July 18 SIPDIS to Ambassador Tuttle expressing appreciation for the USG support at the last IMO Council meeting to address the worsening situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the waters off the coast of Somalia (reftel). The IMO SecGen's letter also requests further support when the matter comes up for debate at the UN Security Council. Text of letter at para 2. ¶2. (U) Text of July 18, 2007 letter from IMO Secretary General Mitropoulos to Ambassador Tuttle: SIPDIS 18 July 2007 Excellency, I have the honour to refer to the worsening situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the waters off the coast of Somalia and address you in the context of a recent request of the IMO Council that the matter be brought to the attention of the United Nations Security Council. By way of background, I would mention that, upon the instruction of the IMO Assembly, this matter was first brought to the attention of the Security Council in November 2005 (resolution A.979(24) refers, copy attached). Subsequently, the President of the Security Council issued a Statement dated 15 March 2006 (document S/PRST/2006/11 refers - in particular, the 11th paragraph thereof, copy attached),which must have certainly played a positive role in the notable reduction of such attacks in the past year. Regrettably, since the beginning of the current year, there have been renewed attacks against ships in the same area (especially attacks on ships carrying humanitarian aid, such as those operated under the auspices of the United National World Food Programme (WFP)),resulting in loss of life, hijacking of ships, kidnapping of innocent crew, loss of humanitarian aid cargoes and demands for ransom. The attackers invariably follow two patterns: - they either attack ships on the high seas, not unusually at considerable distances from the shore, allegedly making use of "mother ships"; or - they attack (and hijack) ships in Somalia's territorial sea, sometimes under the watchful surveillance of warships outside those waters, which are, however, not empowered to intervene for international law reasons. In the light of these worrying developments, I brought the issue to the attention of the IMO Council at its recent ninety-eighth session (25 to 29 June 2007), which, sharing my concerns, authorized me, through the UN Secretary-General: (1.) to seek the further engagement of the United Nations Security Council to promote and facilitate the international community's efforts to combat acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships sailing in waters off the coast of Somalia and, in particular, ships carrying humanitarian aid to the country; and, more particularly, (2.) to invite the Security Council to request the Transitional Federation Government of Somalia to take LONDON 00002834 002 OF 002 action, as it may be deemed necessary and appropriate in the circumstances, to prevent and suppress acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships, including consenting to ships, as defined in Article 107 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (i.e. warships and ships on Government service),operating in the Indian Ocean, entering its country's territorial waters when engaging in operations against pirates or suspected pirates and armed robbers endangering the safety of life at sea, in particular, the safety of crews on board ships carrying, within the WFP's programme, humanitarian aid to Somalia or leaving Somali ports after having discharged their cargo. The support of your country's delegation at last month's IMO Council session was most heartening and, therefore, I should be most grateful for such further support when the matter comes up for debate at the Security Council. Because of the seriousness and urgency of the matter (exacerbated by the fact that, according to information, there are, at present, at least four ships, with their crew, in the hands of pirates operating from Somali shores),any action taken to alleviate the situation will be greatly appreciated. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration. /s/ E.E. Mitropoulos Secretary-General SIPDIS His Excellency Mr. Robert H. Tuttle Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary American Embassy 24 Grosvenor Square London W1A 1AE End text of letter. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm TUTTLE