update..Money in Piracy Attracts More Somalis :Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe tells the Security Council this morning that piracy off the coast of Somalia is, "a menace that is outpacing efforts by the international community to stem it

 update Money in Piracy Attracts More Somalis

update :Warships alone will not deter piracy off Somali coast, Security Council told

9 NOVEMBER 2010, NEW YORK CITY (TF.SF)
 Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, United Nations:
“Piracy is a menace that it outpacing efforts by the international community to stem it. The numbers are appalling. As of 4 November 2010, the International Maritime Organization reports that over 438 seafarers and passengers and 20 ships are held by pirates.  This is an increase of almost a hundred kidnapped victims in less than a month. We call for the immediate release of all individuals still in the hands of Somali pirates and appeal for their release.”
5. Cutaway, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, United Nations:
“The Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the coast of Somalia has proved to be a useful instrument for supporting initiatives in this area. But it needs more funding. I urge Member States and the maritime industry to contribute generously to the Trust Fund.”
7. Cutaway, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, United Nations:
“Strengthening the Somali police and establishing a coast guard or a coastal monitoring capability should be an integral part of the debate about piracy.  The Somali security institutions must also be provided with predictable funding to allow them to undertake their functions.”
9. Cutaway, delegates
10. SOUNDBITE (English) B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, United Nations:
“Piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia is as also very much an economic issue. The Somali people, especially the youth, need greater incentives not to succumb to the lure of the pirate economy. As long as piracy is so lucrative, with ransom payments adding up to tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars, and other economic incentives so bleak, the incentives are obvious. Economic rehabilitation and the creation of alternative livelihood's, especially the development and rehabilitation of coastal fisheries, must be at the centre of our efforts to fight piracy.”
11. Cutaway, delegates
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Yury Fedetov, Executive Director, UNODC:
“It is clear that the only viable long-term solution to the Somali piracy problem is to restore law and order in Somalia (including in its waters). It is also clear that this solution is some years off and will require concerted and coordinated international effort. In the interim the UNODC counter piracy program, established in 2009, has three main objectives: fair and efficient trials and imprisonment of piracy suspects in regional countries; humane and secure imprisonment in Somalia; fair and efficient trials in Somalia.”
13. Wide shot, meeting ends


STORYLINE:

The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, told the United Nations (UN) Security Council this morning that piracy off the coast of Somalia was a " menace that is outpacing efforts by the international community to stem it."

In presenting the Secretary-General's latest report on this issue, Pascoe said that the numbers were appalling; as of 4 November, over 438 seafarers and passengers and 20 ships were held by pirates, an increase of almost a hundred kidnapped victims in less than a month. Pascoe called for the immediate release of all those who are being held against their will by the pirates.

A number of States in the region had already announced that it would be very difficult for them to sustain prosecution efforts and imprisonment of convicted pirates without financial support.

Pascoe said that the Trust Fund created to support initiatives of States countering piracy off the Coast of Somalia had proved to be a useful instrument for supporting initiatives in that area. But, he also said that “it needs more funding.”

The UN, the contact group on Piracy and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development are all working to develop the capacity of Somalia to deal with the piracy on land and sea. Pascoe said that strengthening the Somali police and establishing a coast guard or a coastal monitoring capability should be an integral part of the debate about piracy. 

Commenting on the economic incentives in the country Pascoe said that piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia was also an economic issue. He said that the Somali people, especially the youth, needed greater incentives not to succumb to the lure of the pirate economy.

The Council also heard from the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Yury Fedotov, who said his office had developed a counter-piracy program to assist regional countries prosecute pirates.

Fedotov said that it was clear “that the only viable long-term solution to the Somali piracy problem is to restore law and order in Somalia (including in its waters).”

He added that it was also clear that “this solution is some years off and will require concerted and coordinated international effort.”

Meanwhile, UNODC’s counter-piracy program, which was established in 2009, is working towards ensuring fair and efficient trials and imprisonment of piracy suspects in regional countries; humane and secure imprisonment in Somalia; and fair and efficient trials in Somalia.