The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, proceeded with the launching of the first edition of the Judicial Colloquium of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – Global Maritime Crime Programme on maritime crime, on Friday morning, at Le Méridien Hotel, Pointe Aux Piments.
The aim of the forum is to ensure that the Indian Ocean West region is fully apprised of, and benefits from maximum available legal resources and judicial reasoning to combat maritime crimes.
The Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo; the Attorney General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Maneesh Gobin; the Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Mr Maurice Kamga; a delegation from the UNODC; and representatives of regional countries were present at the launching.
In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth stated that the trend of maritime crimes in the Indian Ocean West region is systematically evolving. It is crucial to reinforce collaboration with stakeholders in the criminal justice chain to build regional resilience in terms of maritime security, he emphasised.
The Prime Minister, moreover, highlighted that sentences as regards maritime crime must have a deterrent impact so as to send a loud, powerful, and unequivocal signal to all perpetrators. “Coordination and cooperation with neighbouring countries is vital for achieving our goal”, he added.
Speaking on drugs, he indicated that the increasing number of drug seizures in Mauritius is testimony of the commitment of the Government to endorse the zero-tolerance policy. Mauritius, he said, continues to spearhead the fight against drug trafficking and other maritime crimes.
He likewise dwelt on measures to prevent drug trafficking in Mauritius namely: use of surface and air assets by the National Coast Guard to safeguard the Exclusive Economic Zone; afloat patrols and beach patrols; continuous surveillance by Coastal Surveillance Radar Stations; and Intelligence-Based and Coordinated Operations through the Maritime Intelligence Cell.
The Prime Minister further spoke on the country’s robust legal system, its adherence to the rule of law, and its unwavering commitment to the fight against maritime crimes. He lauded the synergies among the regional and international agencies such as UNODC-Global Maritime Crime Programme, INTERPOL, the European Union Naval Force, the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre, and the Regional Coordination Operations Centre for their collaboration in combating maritime crime.
For his part, the Attorney General reiterated Government’s commitment in the fight against transnational crimes. The present forum will help identify loopholes in laws, propose recommendations to harmonise legislations and bring necessary reforms, he pointed out. The forum, he stated, will factor in the peculiarities of each jurisdiction as countries in the region have a mixture of common law, civil and hybrid legal system. He also expressed gratitude to the UNODC for their continuous support in the fight against maritime crimes.
