Sea (HNS Convention) – which, however, is not yet in
force – were adopted, and further progress was made
with respect to technical matters related to ballast
water management, ship recycling, and measures
helping to prevent and combat pollution of the sea
from oil and other harmful substances.
Continued enhancements were made to regulatory
measures in the field of maritime and supply chain
security and their implementation, including the
issuance of a new version of the World Customs
Organization (WCO) Framework of Standards to
Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE Framework)
in June 2015, which includes a new pillar 3: “Customsto-other
government and inter-government agencies”.
As regards suppression of maritime piracy and armed
robbery, positive developments were noted in the
waters off the coast of Somalia and the wider western
Indian Ocean. However, concern remains about the
seafarers still being held hostage. A downward trend
of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea was also observed,
indicating that international, regional and national
efforts are beginning to take effect.