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United Nations Office on Drugs and

Crime
UN O D C E ve r ywhe r e
A Programme in
Expansion

In 2014 the Global

Maritime Crime
Programme (GMCP)
expanded its work
beyond the Horn of
Africa and the Indian
Ocean to address
maritime crime
challenges in West
Africa, with main
focus on the Gulf of
Guinea region,
where there had
been a significant rise in piracy, armed robbery, and other maritime crimes. The modus operandi
of assailants in the Gulf of Guinea is distinct from the typical piracy attacks seen off the Horn of
Africa, which have primarily involved armed attacks on commercial vessels with a view to
hijacking the vessel and taking the crew hostage for ransom. Attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, on the
other hand, primarily take the form of illegal oil bunkering and cargo theft.

Despite the differences in the piracy models between East and West Africa, GMCP's experience
with maritime law enforcement (MLE) capacity building and strengthening of criminal justice
responses to maritime crimes, made the GMCP uniquely placed to assist States address the challenges in the Gulf of Guinea.

In the first phase of the Programme, the GMCP Atlantic Ocean Programme carried out a mapping exercise of the maritime risk
situation in the Gulf of Guinea Region through consultations with law enforcement and legal officials. Areas for regional coordination
and capacity building support were identified through this exercise, which now form the foundation for programme activities, duly in
line with the Yaoundé agreement.

The first step in GMCP's Gulf of Guinea programming has been to conduct legal reform support to coastal states with regard to piracy
and maritime crime more broadly, as well as training in prosecutors and judges, with the aim of preparing for maritime crime
prosecutions. Alongside the legal reform work, GMCP has been focusing on MLE capacity building through placing experts within
relevant agencies. In addition to day-to-day mentoring, these experts assist with planning and executing exercises at sea.

The GMCP Atlantic Ocean Programme continues to deliver programming within legal reform, MLE capacity building, and regional
cooperation and coordination in the Gulf of Guinea Region. The Programme has also expanded its activities to include States further
up the West African coast.

Further, the Programme has expanded into the Caribbean Sea with an assessment of maritime law
enforcement capacity in responding to drug trafficked through the region. Work in response to the
latter and maritime crime in a broader sense will be developed in close consultation and
cooperation with CARICOM/IMPACS.

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