Bahrain signs Jeddah Amendment to combat illicit maritime activity

The Kingdom of Bahrain has signed the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC-JA), a regional initiative to combat piracy, armed robbery against ships and other illicit maritime activities in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.

The Ambassador of Bahrain to the United Kingdom, H.E. Mr. Shaikh Fawaz Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa deposited the instrument with IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez at IMO Headquarters in London on 6 March.

Bahrain joins 17 other Signatory States in working together to develop a common regional maritime security strategy, coordinate a robust information-sharing network and strengthen capacity-building programmes on various thematic areas, from human trafficking to port and ship security. IMO supports the implementation of the DCoC-JA, alongside other partners, with funding from donor States.

The Jeddah Amendment plays a critical role in ensuring communication and cooperation among countries in the region, with Signatory States meeting regularly to discuss key issues and challenges. An Extraordinary Session was held in December 2023 in response to the increased volatility and attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea area. Since then, the DCoC-JA States have drawn up an eight-point action plan to further boost capacity in the region to tackle maritime security threats.

The DCoC-JA builds on the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC), which was first adopted in 2009 to tackle piracy and armed robbery against ships.  This scope was significantly expanded since 2017, with the revised Djibouti Code of Conduct, known as the Jeddah Amendment (DCoC-JA).

The Jeddah Amendment covers measures for suppressing a range of illicit activities, including illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, arms trafficking, trafficking in narcotics, illegal trade in wildlife, crude oil theft, human trafficking and smuggling, and illegal dumping of toxic waste.

Signatory States have embraced the IMO’s “whole of government” approach to maritime security. This includes the establishment of national maritime security committees, development of national maritime security risk registers and producing national maritime security strategies by all participating States, with support from IMO.

Of the 20 Signatory States to the original DCoC, 17 have signed up to the expanded DCoC-JA, including: Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania and Yemen. Bahrain is the first Member State to join beyond the signatories of the first DCoC.

Find out more about the Djibouti Code of Conduct and the Jeddah Amendment

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