Source of funds: 11th EDF (CRIS ref 2015/038-919)
Decision date: 25 July 2017 (FA signature: 05/09/2017)
Total Budget: 29 MEUR (EU Contribution: 29 MEUR)
Implementation period: 4 years (2019-2022)
Implementing Agencies: ECOWAS/Project Management Unit (Human Dynamics), UNODC, Interpol, GIABA
(Senegal), EU MS Agency Camoes (Abuja); RMU (Ghana); ARSTM (Côte d'Ivoire),
Geographical region: West Africa
Objectives:
The overall objective is to contribute to supporting the ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy and improving
maritime security and safety in the Gulf of Guinea through a combined approach in legal, technical and
operational activities in the region.
Expected results:
· Strengthened integrated maritime governance, policies, laws and systems to support maritime security
(on the political, strategic, administrative and operational levels);
· Developed and adopted laws, policies, Memoranda of Agreement for prosecution and adjudication of
maritime crimes;
· Strengthened law enforcement operational capacities and responses;
· Assessed illicit financial circuits generated by maritime crime;
· Strengthened regional operational training;
· Establishment of an equipment facility to provide essential equipment, training and maintenance
Achievements in 2019
•Signing of MoUs for joint operations in ECOWAS Zone F;
•Operational capacity assessment mission of the centres developed under the Yaoundé architecture (CRESMAO and MMCCs);
•Bill against piracy and maritime crime by the National Assembly in Nigeria;
•Support to the Ghanaian Maritime Authority in drafting bill against piracy;
•Support in the identification of specific provisions on piracy and maritime crime in the Gambian draft of criminal code.
Actions in 2020
•Contracting of four other components:
1.Assess the illicit financial flows;
2.Training forensic equipment;
3.Supplies maritime centres;
4.Regional operational training.
•Improving mutual legal assistance;
•Support to the drafting of national and international standard operating procedures;
•Finalisation and update of legal assessments, hand over and legal cooperation agreement.
The SWAIMS technical assistance team is responsible for:
•Strengthening of governance, policies, laws and integrated maritime systems to support the maritime strategy in all ECOWAS States and in Mauritania in order to build or strengthen maritime policies and administrative structures to ensure that the Maritime security can benefit from clear and rationalized organizational links, from the political level to the strategic level, from the administrative to the operational levels.
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The SWAIMS technical assistance team is particularly responsible for the coordination, facilitation and harmonization of associated European programs as well as for making a permanent report on their activity to the ECOWAS authorities and to the delegation of the European Union in Abuja
