On Thursday January 28 in New York, Norway chairs the meeting of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia on. Parts of the meeting will be open to media. There will also be interview opportunities before and after the meeting.
Please note: More details will be published in the UN Media Alert.
Norway is currently chairman of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS). States and organisations use this forum to coordinate the effort against piracy off the coast of Somalia.
The plenary meeting in New York will be lead by Carl P. Salicath, senior advisor at Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is the chairman of the Contact Group. About 130 delegates from many countries and organisations will attend, including representatives from Somalia, the United Nations, the European Union, NATO and the United States. The commercial shipping industry will also be represented.
The Contact Group has four working groups that focus on regional capacity building and military coordination, the legal prosecution of pirates, preventative measures and communication with Somali authorities.
The experience of the Contact Group is that this collaboration is fruitful, but that great challenges remain in terms of stemming the problem of piracy. Much of the solution lies on land. Good coordination with the more broadly focused international contact group for Somalia (ICG) is therefore important.
Time: Thursday January 28, 10:00 – 18:00
Location: UN Headquarters in New York
Media contacts:
Haakon Svane, Senior Advisor at Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Cell: + 47 901 99 082
Email: haakon.svane@mfa.no
Emma Kwesiga Lydersen, Press Counsellor at the Mission of Norway
Cell: +1 646 642 9910
Email: ekly@mfa.no