Following the ”Joint Statement on Protection at Sea in the Twenty-First Century,’ ‘ s everal United Nations agencies have agreed to establish a mechanism to enhance existing inter-agency communication with respect to the maritime aspects of mixed migration by sea.
The intention is that the mechanism would facilitate operational-level communication between relevant agencies bilaterally and multilaterally and provide a conduit for better informing the Global Migration Group (GMG) on maritime issues.
Although precise details of the mechanism are yet to be finalised, it was envisaged that it might, for example, consider: the establishment of joint databases to share and collate information and statistics on irregular movements and suspect vessels; quantifying the effects of irregular and unsafe crossings on the shipping industry; improving maritime situational awareness; or any other maritime issues identified as being of relevance to the work of the GMG.
IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu said: ”The issue of mixed migration by sea, including irregular migration, has been a serious concern for decades – if not longer. But, in recent years, it has reached epidemic proportions, to the extent where the whole system for coping with such migrants is being stretched up to, and sometimes beyond, its breaking point.”
Estimates put the number of mixed movements by sea in Europe alone during 2014 at more than 218,000, with more than 3,500 deaths.
At the close of the meeting held in IMO headquarters in London, IMO Secretary-General Sekimizu reiterated the importance of a collective approach to the issue.
”IMO stands ready to collaborate and give its support to all those who can play an active part in addressing this dreadful situation,” Sekimizu said. ”We need to work together to develop impact-oriented actions. As an international community, we need to deliver as one.”
Senior representatives from the following agencies participated in the meeting: International Labour Organization (ILO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Division of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).