We Are Tomodachi Autumn / Winter 2017

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25areas,” Kuroki explains.Piracy and armed robbery against ships were particularly common in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in the past, but it has been a problem not only for Southeast Asia, but for the entire world. Roughly 90% of the transport of goods in international trade is sea-based. Ensuring the safety of navigation encourages free trade and protects the crews of ships. The ReCAAP framework has been praised and endorsed by the United States, Australia, and European nations in addition to Asian countries including China and South Korea. It is recognized as an effective anti-piracy regional model and inspired the establishment of the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC), which seeks to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. The rest of the world has high expectations for Japan’s further contributions to advancing ReCAAP.“The Japan Coast Guard was founded in 1948, making its history one of the longest among Asian nations,” says Kuroki. “Sharing its accumulated expertise in ensuring maritime safety with other Asian countries is an important way of supporting ReCAAP’s activities. Japan strives to help other nations improve their capabilities by providing patrol vessels under bilateral agreements and dispatching experts. As those countries’ maritime law enforcement capabilities rise, activities performed by ReCAAP ISC will likewise increase in effectiveness.”Regarding global efforts to fight piracy and armed robbery against ships, Kuroki warns, “It is necessary to be consistently vigilant in protecting and guarding the safety of the seas. That is why raising awareness of the importance and results of ReCAAP is also imperative. We will continue our efforts to increase the number of contracting and cooperating countries.”As one of the activities designed to improve maritime law enforcement capabilities, officials from ASEAN member states including ReCAAP contracting parties were invited to Singapore and Japan and underwent training there between September and October 2017.Locations of incidents reported in 2016. While the maritime areas covered by ReCAAP’s activities are in Asia, the agreement has grown to include 20 contracting parties: Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Denmark, India, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. “Attempted” denotes unsuccessful incidents, whereas “Actual” denotes incidents during which a vessel was actually boarded. Although the total number of incidents fluctuates, there has been significant improvement since 2016, thanks to the efforts of stakeholders and ReCAAP.As measures against crimes at sea, protection measures such as shielding the vessel with barbed wire making it harder to board can prove effective. Providing such advice is one of the activities performed by ReCAAP ISC. © Perspectives / Getty Images2502001501005002007200820092010201120122013201420152016TotalActualAttemptedNew DelhiDhakaBeijingTokyoBandai SeriBegawanHanoiBangkokPhnom PenhKuala LumpurSingaporeJakartaManilaVientianeNew DelhiDhakaBeijingSeoulTokyoBandai SeriBegawanHanoiBangkokPhnom PenhKuala LumpurSingaporeJakartaManilaVientianeNay Pyi TawColomboColomboJohorSingaporePulau BatamPulau BintanLegendCAT 1CAT 2CAT 3CAT 4AttemptedChanges in the number of incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in AsiaLocations of incidents in Asian waters