UNODC calls for cooperation on pirates

VIENNA, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime has called on countries in the Horn of Africa region to work together on fighting piracy.

Antonio Maria Costa, UNODC executive director, said Tuesday that the growing threat of piracy off the coast of Somalia must be addressed through regional cooperation and by establishing a local judiciary mechanism to bring pirates to justice, the UNODC reported.

Costa said there are problems with several proposed ways to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden. He said one proposal, to bring pirates to justice in the countries where their boats are registered, won't work because many of the boats are from countries in the Caribbean. Costa also said a proposal to try the pirates in the countries where the boats they take hostage are from, mainly the United States, the European Union and India, is flawed because of international criminal standards.

Costa called on leaders in the Horn of Africa region to establish cooperation on security and judicial practices modeled on the success of a partnership between Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, which have drastically cut the level of piracy.

"Regional cooperation is essential," Costa said in a statement.

"A few years ago, piracy was a threat to the Strait of Malacca. By working together, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand managed to cut the number of attacks by more than half since 2004. Piracy is organized crime, and should be confronted as such."