Maritime security in West and Central Africa
IMO recognizes the progress that has been made since 2021 in the collective efforts to combat the threat of piracy and the resulting reduction in the number of pirate attacks in the Gulf of Guinea. IMO urges continued sustainable support to the important work of the regional navies and entities within the Yaoundé Architecture to protect seafarers and to the operational piracy response from the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum (SHADE) and the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea, in keeping with the
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2634 on piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
Yaoundé Code of Conduct
Developed by the West Africa and Central Africa Sub-region with technical support from IMO, the
Yaoundé Code of Conduct was adopted formally in Yaoundé (Cameroon), in June 2013 by Heads of State or their representatives from 25 West and Central African countries. The Code's primary objective is to manage and reduce considerably the adverse impacts derived from piracy, armed robbery against ships and other illicit maritime activities, such as Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
IMO's strategy and initiatives to enhance maritime security in West Africa are aligned to the provisions of the Yaoundé Code and helps to safeguard that the process of implementation is adequate, being cognizant of the fact that effective implementation should translate into sustainable development for the region's maritime sector.
In particular, the IMO assists Member Countries in and around the Gulf of Guinea in, among others, revising national legislation to criminalize piracy, armed robbery against ships and other illicit maritime activities; developing and coordinating relevant structures and procedures; as well as ensuring that operational, technical and logistical personnel are adequately trained.