NAIROBI, July 13 (Xinhua) -- The 21st Plenary Session of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPS) ended in Nairobi on Friday with delegates from 68 nations endorsing a communiqué to chart a new roadmap to eradicate the menace in the Horn of African nation.
Kenya and its multilateral partners hosted the three-day high-level forum to discuss new strategies to contain the menace of piracy along Somalia and Western Indian Ocean coastlines that was attended by ministers, diplomats and security experts.
The delegates in their joint communiqué acknowledged that piracy remains a huge maritime threat that has undermined economic growth, peace and stability in Somalia.
"We welcome continued efforts by the international community to combat and deter piracy off the coast of Somalia while acknowledging the threat though suppressed has not been eradicated," said the delegates.
The Nairobi summit in its final communiqué proposed a raft of measures geared towards eradicating maritime security threats in Somalia.
Among the resolutions that were endorsed include robust engagement of state and non-state actors like industry and civil society at regional and global levels to contain piracy in Somalia waters.
Likewise, delegates pledged support for a UN-funded counter piracy initiatives that provide technical assistance to countries in the eastern African region to enhance arrest and prosecution of culprits.
"The plenary reiterated its support to the UN Trust Fund to support initiatives of states countering piracy off the coast of Somalia and called for its continuation," said the communiqué.
Delegates rallied behind other innovative measures like economic empowerment of coastal communities as well as improved governance and investment in surveillance infrastructure to defeat the menace of piracy in the Somalia coastline.
"Continued international naval presence as well as action on illegal fishing and other maritime crimes should inform counter-piracy activities in Somalia and Western Indian ocean coastlines," said the Communiqué.
Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo, the Mauritius minister for foreign affairs and chair of Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, said the Nairobi summit endorsed an enlarged mandate for the international community to hasten the momentum towards a piracy free Somalia.
"We agreed that a long-term solution to the piracy menace in Somalia is needed and realization of that goal will be hinged on enhanced collaboration alongside provision of alternative livelihood for vulnerable youth," Vishnu said.
He stressed that investments in the blue economy that guarantees shared prosperity will boost response to maritime threats facing Somalia and neighboring countries.
