Lessons from the Field Archives - Page 2 of 3

The British Academy’s Sustainable Development Programme Policy Workshop on Sustainable Governance

23rd July 202020th April 2018 by Rupert Alcock

Senior SafeSeas researcher Dr Rupert Alcock presented key findings and policy implications from SafeSeas’ initial 18-month period of research funded by the British Academy. The workshop took place at the British Academy in London on 16 April 2018. It was opened by Programme Director Professor Paul Jackson and was attended by policy makers from UK and European government departments whose work focuses on sustainable governance and capacity building.

Dr Alcock opened his presentation by tracing the growing global political attention attracted by the maritime domain and the world’s developing ocean resources, before outlining the core question addressed by SafeSeas: how can we assist countries in the Western Indian Ocean region and elsewhere in tackling maritime insecurities such as piracy? He then outlined some core guidelines for redirecting capacity building efforts that were consolidated in SafeSeas’ best practice toolkit ‘Mastering Maritime Security’ that the team launched at its high-level symposium in Nairobi in March 2018.

SafeSeas publishes Best Practice Toolkit

23rd July 202026th February 2018 by admin

SafeSeas is pleased to announce the publication of the Best Practice Toolkit entitled Mastering Maritime Security: Reflexive Capacity Building and the western Indian Ocean Experience. The report presents the core results of the SafeSeas project drawing on 16 months of research and work with a wide range of partners from the Western Indian Ocean region. The … Read more

Best Practices: Integrating blue economy work

29th October 201826th February 2018 by admin

Maritime security, the blue economy and ocean health depend on each other (see box). Resource constraints demand that these sectors are closely coordinated and that efforts are not duplicated. Fishery services and environmental agencies hold information generated from their monitoring activities that is relevant to maritime security. Regulation of offshore resource exploitation, monitoring of fisheries and environmental protection require law enforcement at sea. Successful maritime security policies require the integration of the blue economy and ocean health.

Best Practices: Identifying Points of Contact

20th February 2018 by admin

For donors and implementers of regional organisations it is often difficult to reach out to recipient countries. They struggle to identify the right individual or organisation to speak to or invite as a representative to a coordination meeting. The result can be that a government is weakly represented at international events, or that information about opportunities arising are not adequately transmitted within the government.

Best Practices: Maritime Security Strategies

20th February 201813th February 2018 by admin

For many countries, maritime security strategies and plans are a useful coordination device. Such strategies provide overall direction and guidelines; they map agencies and accountability relations and describe maritime security governance structures and the roles and responsibilities of each agency. Often, as in the case of the EU Maritime Security Strategy or the Seychelles Maritime Plan (see box), they are accompanied by detailed plans of action and investment strategies.

Best Practices: The ‘tool-box’ of capacity building

20th February 20186th February 2018 by admin

Capacity building can only be defined very broadly; the measures it should include are debated, if not contested. Different methods of delivery belong in the tool-box and it is important to note their different strengths and weaknesses. The SAFE SEAS Best Practice Toolkit explores the strengths of different methods of delivery.

Best Practices: Maritime Domain Awareness

20th February 201830th January 2018 by admin

Effective knowledge production about activities at sea, also known as Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), is one of the backbones of successful maritime security governance on both national and regional levels. Establishing a centre that integrates data on maritime activity and analyses it is a priority. Such centres share information between agencies on both national and regional levels. In many countries, a national centre also integrates search and rescue, as well as the monitoring of fisheries.

Mastering maritime security: SafeSeas forthcoming best practice tool kit

27th February 201817th January 2018 by admin

Maritime security is a global task. It requires effective governance on a national and regional level, but also external capacity building to assist countries in developing the required human, institutional and material capacities needed to manage maritime spaces and enforce regulation within those spaces. Mastering this complex arena requires reflexive capacity building. SafeSeas forthcoming Best … Read more

G7 high level meeting discusses importance of capacity building

19th December 201712th December 2017 by Robert McCabe

The third G7 High Level Meeting on Maritime Security was held in Rome last month as a follow up to the G7 Ministers of Foreign Affairs Joint Communiqué signed at Lucca in Italy in April. The core aim of the meeting was to identify common challenges in the maritime domain and how to coordinate comprehensive … Read more

An enduring threat – suspected Somali pirates transferred to Seychelles

29th November 2017 by Robert McCabe

This week six suspected Somali pirates were transferred by EUNAVFOR officials to the Seychelles to stand trial – the first such transfer of piracy suspects to the country since 2014. The suspects were apprehended by an Italian navy frigate, ITS Virginio Fasan, after they attacked a Seychelles-flagged 52,000-tonne container ship and a fishing vessel in the … Read more