Antigua and Barbuda recently hosted an international gathering aimed at strengthening cooperation in maritime security and improving the enforcement of sanctions designed to prevent the spread of weapons.
The event was co-hosted by the U.S. Department of State and the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping (ADOMS).
According to a press release from the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown, the Global Maritime Security and Sanctions Enforcement Symposium was held in St. John’s from July 13 to 15.
The symposium brought together representatives from ship registries, maritime authorities, international organisations and global coalitions from 26 countries. Among those participating was the Registry Information Sharing Compact (RISC), which works to promote information-sharing among ship registries.
The discussions centred on strengthening international cooperation to enforce nonproliferation and sanctions imposed by the U.S. government “to prevent rogue regimes from using shipping networks to generate revenue that could support activities viewed as threats to U.S. national security.”
The U.S. Department of State said stronger international coordination makes it more difficult for these sanctions to be evaded. It also reduces the number of companies and service providers willing to work with so-called shadow fleet vessels and limits the ability of proliferators to finance weapons programmes.
Officials said the symposium helped build stronger partnerships that can make those enforcement efforts more effective.
