Key government agencies involved in ensuring Comoros' maritime security are taking steps to improve collaboration and streamline decision-making, with IMO support.
Twenty-six officials, including representatives from the Ministry of Transport, Port Authority (SCP), Maritime Authority (ANAM), Coastguard, Customs, Gendarmerie, and Police and Intelligence Service, took part in a national maritime security training programme held in Moroni, Comoros (9-12 December).
The training focused on promoting a whole-of-government approach to addressing national maritime security risks and strategies, through an initial tabletop exercise and a National Maritime Security Committee workshop.
During the tabletop exercise, participants analysed their respective roles and course of action in various security scenarios, such as the entry of a ship in a port, arrival of a ship with drugs, hijacking of a ship in transit at port, sabotage of a port facility and dealing with stowaways.
This was followed by a workshop focused on developing a National Maritime Security Committee (NMSC) structure for Comoros. Once established, such a cross-government committee would bring together all relevant stakeholders to coordinate maritime security initiatives and actions. The NMSC would be responsible for developing a national maritime risk register to identify and prioritise security gaps, and a national maritime security strategy to address these gaps and outline long term goals.
The workshop was part of the activities funded by the European Union under the Port Security Project.
