Iran to receive UN award for combating piracy

Iran is among countries due to be presented with a ‘Certificate of Commendation’ for helping to combat piracy at the annual International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Awards for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.

Commanding officers of ships, which have served in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia, are attending a ceremony to receive their award in recognition of exceptional services to shipping and to humanity at the IMO headquarters in London on Monday evening.

Those in attendance also include High Commissioners and Ambassadors from countries, who have deployed naval assets in the region that recently became notorious for piracy.

Figures compiled by IMO show that there were a total of 135 piracy attacks in the region during 2008, resulting in 44 ships been seized and more than 600 seafarers kidnapped and held for ransom.

But by January this year, a regional agreement on a Code of Conduct on the Repression of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden was adopted at a high-level meeting in Djibouti.

The awards ceremony come as the UN specialized agency is starting its 26th regular assembly session, during which the election of council members is being held on Friday November 27.

The IMO was originally established in Geneva in 1948 to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping before coming into force ten years later.

The organisation of some 168 member states and three associate members includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping in its remit.

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