Opening of a Workshop on Maritime Security: “How to counter the practices used by North Korea to evade UN maritime sanctions established against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles”
A two-day workshop on “Countering Practices used by North Korea to evade United Nations Maritime Sanctions on the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Ballistic Missile Technology” opened today in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
This workshop which takes place from 06 to 07 April 2022 is facilitated by (5) five International Experts including: Mr. Enrico Carisch, Managing Director of Compliance & Capacity Skills International (CCSI), Mr. Thomas Bifwoli, CEO of CCSi Africa, Mrs. Maiko Takeuchi, WMD Expert and a former official of Japan’s Ministry of Defense, Mrs. Ashley Taylor, a first generation entrepreneur in the blockchain industry, and the Captain (Retired) Neil Watts who served for 30-years as an officer and captain with the South African Navy.
In addition to the experts, the workshop was attended by actors from the customs, maritime gendarmerie, police, private sectors of the African Maritime Authorities, Port Managers, Shipping Companies, and other stakeholders.
According to Mr. Enrico Carisch, in a non-accusatory tone, and based on the information he has, (8) eight African countries are under UN sanctions, and several African countries are actively trading with North Korea. He also notes that all “open registries” of foreign vessels are vulnerable.
During this first day of training, simulation exercises were also carried out to enable the authorities concerned to identify illegal vessels.
It should be noted that this workshop aims to highlight approaches to solutions in order to counter the practices used to evade the UN maritime sanctions established against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.
