SPEECH BY ENG. M.S.M. KAMAU, CBS, CABINET SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE, REPUBLIC OF KENYA AT THE DJIBOUTI CODE OF CONDUCT MINISTERIAL MEETING AT IMO HEADQUARTERS - 30TH MAY, 2014

The Secretary General of IMO, Mr. Koji SekimizuColleague Ministers

ExcellenciesLadies and Gentlemen It is a great honour for me to take part at this Ministerial Meeting on the Djibouti Code of Conduct and I am pleased to take this opportunity to thank the IMO for organizing the forum which is key in charting the way forward for the future of the Management of the Code. Allow me also to take cognizance of the role that the IMOs Project Implementation Unit has played in coordinating the activities under the Code. Its key role in the establishment of the Djibouti Regional Training Centre and the three information sharing centres of which Mombasa Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) has continued to serve in the repression of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden cannot be taken for granted. Continuing to work in close collaboration with other regional and international agencies with a similar mandate has been pivotal in achieving the programme we are meeting here to review.Ladies and gentlemen Kenya supports the rebuilding of Somalia maritime administrative structures. Kenya participated in the IMO Workshop on the setting up of the Somali Maritime Administration in Addis Ababa in April 2014. With the successful reduction in piracy, perhaps the time is ripe for us to review the scope of the Code to encompass a comprehensive approach to maritime security in the region. We appreciate that the situation has been contained by the presence of the naval forces in the affected area. Moreover the role of the Kenya Defence Forces from October 2011 has also contributed immensely in the suppression in that there has not been a single successful incidence of piracy within the waters off the Western Indian Ocean since the Kenya Navy gained sea control of the previously pirate infested waters of the Indian Ocean. My comment takes cognizance of amongst others, the continued discovery of off-shore resources in the West Indian Ocean which is likely to lead to emergence of new challenges; the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean (IO) and the importance of the sea lines of communication; the fact that Piracy is merely contained and we may see an insurgence if stability in Somalia is not maintained; the impact of maritime insecurity on port security; as well as smuggling and human trafficking all of which continue to pose a real security threat for the region.Ladies and GentlemenEnsuring the security of the West Indian Ocean is beyond the capacity of any existing regional body acting alone hence decisions that we shall make as a region on the future of the Djibouti Code of Conduct are therefore critical to the maintenance of this balance and which should fit into a region-wide strategy for maritime security.Ladies and Gentlemen

Today we are required to make decisions which will shape the destiny of our region with regard to the suppression of piracy and the future of the Djibouti Code of Conduct. This will require strong political will and political commitment from all of us within the region to give the necessary political support to implement our decisions. Even as we transition the Djibouti Code of Conduct to regional ownership, we should recognize that the framework therefore places before us a unique position to have a maritime security mechanism that can take care of the entire region as no country in the region is capable of devising a solution alone.In order for such a strategy to work, a number of measures would need to be taken. We already have structures such as the information sharing centres which will need to be strengthened with more emphasis on information sharing and capacity for systematic coordination in counter-piracy operations among countries of the region. National focal points will have to play a greater role in order to develop a dynamic network of information sharing. We therefore need to establish areas and issues of complementarity and convergence between the needs and interests to consolidate our role in the maritime domain. Together we can build on the foundations that already exist, and despite our institutional differences we can draw inspiration from this to advance on our agenda.I encourage all of us to agree and chart a way forward on the future of the Djibouti Code of Conduct noting that the challenges that led to its formation still exist. Indeed we need to make commitments on implementation on the proposals that will emerge on the way forward which may entail sacrifices as the option to do nothing will worsen the issues of piracy and related maritime security. A consensus approach combined with solidarity and tolerance will therefore be extremely important for the future of the Djibouti Code of Conduct in identifying deliverables that will enhance our future cooperation.

I wish to confirm Kenyas commitment to the security of the region. We have come a long way since the adoption of the Djibouti Code of Conduct. The efforts that countries of the region have made towards fighting piracy and promotion of maritime security under the framework are commendable. Let us take concrete and deliberate steps as we move forward.I look forward to an interactive engagement and I thank you for your attention.

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