Sri Lanka calls for global action to combat threat to maritime security by terrorist groups [Friday, July 07, 2006 - 11. 40 GMT]

Sri Lanka highlighted the grave threat to maritime security by terrorist groups and called for concerted global action at the annual meeting of the States Parties to the 1982 UN Convention of the Law of the Sea, convened recently in New York.

Highlighting the issue, leader of the Sri Lanka delegation and Legal Advisor of the Foreign Ministry Dr. Rohan Perera in his opening address stated that “the threats posed by such acts of terrorism combined with trafficking of weapons of mass destruction and light weapons, piracy and armed robbery at sea, illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, as well as people and arms smuggling collectively constituted an unprecedented challenge to maritime security which jeopardized the security and stability of States.” It was emphasized that this challenge by its very nature called for concerted global action.

Dr. Perera further stated that Sri Lanka has extended cooperation to all efforts made at the international and regional levels in preventing and combating threats to maritime security. On 31^st May 2006, Sri Lanka deposited its instrument of Ratification to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia, which will now enter into force in September 2006.

The Sri Lanka delegation also apprised the meeting of the establishment of the Project in 2003, on the Delimitation of the Outer Edge of the Continental Margin of Sri Lanka. The first phrase of the study has been completed with the preparation of the desk top study of available data. It was further stated that Sri Lanka expects the seismic surveys to commence before the end of the year 2006 with a view to submitting Sri Lanka’s claim on the limits of the Continental Shelf to the UN Commission during the course of 2007.

Sri Lanka expressed appreciation to the capacity building activities of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) which reflects the growing commitment of the United Nations to capacity building in ocean affairs. Sri Lanka hosted the training course regarding the delimitation of the Outer Limits of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 nautical miles in Colombo in 2005. Sri Lanka’s readiness to continue cooperation in this and other vital sectors of capacity building efforts initiated by DOALOS was also indicated.

Sri Lanka further expressed its appreciation to the assistance rendered by the United Nations, the Specialized Agencies and other Organizations to overcome the devastating effects of the tsunami, and added that Sri Lanka has strengthened her disaster management laws and the national coordination mechanisms and it is Sri Lanka’s expectation that consequent to the UNESCO initiative, a Tsunami Early Warning System in the Indian Ocean will become functional shortly.

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Last Updated Date: July 7, 2006 -11.40 GMT