SRI LANKA COAST GUARD TO HOST 15TH HEADS OF ASIAN COAST GUARD AGENCIES MEETING (HACGAM) IN COLOMBO FOR THE FIRST TIME

Sri Lanka Coast Guard which is functioning under the Ministry of Defence hosts this year’s two major events of Asian Coastguard Agencies; the Working Level Meeting (WLM) and the High-Level Meeting (HLM) of the 15thHeads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) scheduled from 08th to 11thJuly and 07th to 10th October this year respectively in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is the first time Sri Lanka Coast Guard hosting this multilateralmeeting and expecting participants from 22 member countries including one associate member and two observer organizations for the HACGAM.

The HACGAM is a high-level multilateral meeting of Coast Guards and Maritime Law Enforcement agencies to ensure the safe,secure and cleaner seas in Asian region which was originated by the initiatives of Japan in 2004. This annual meeting is aimed at the construct and development of Coast Guard agencies in the region through the working level discussions, identify issues related to maritime security and safety, and also to maintain a good relationship and mutual trust among member agencies. The HACGAM has the four pillars that member agencies to make cooperative and proactive efforts to achieve desired organization goals, that are Search and rescue, Environmental protection, Preventing and controllingunlawful acts at sea, and Capacity building with any other areas in which member organizations find a common interest.

At present HACGAM consisted with 22 member countries and regions, namely Australia, Bahrain,Bangladesh,Brunei-Darussalam, Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Republic of Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. In addition to thatReCAAP Information Sharing Centre has the associate membership and Bali Process, UNODC are the observers of the HACGAM.

The HACGAM was initiated by Japan after the capture of pirated vessel MV Alondra Rainbow in South East Asian waters by the Indian Coast Guard in November 1999. Concerning the maritime security threats to the Asian region Japan proposed a meeting among maritime security agencies in area and it was held the ‘Regional Conference on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery’ in year 2000 in Japan. Since then up to 2004 four Reginal Senior Experts Meetings of Coast Guard agencies on ‘Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships’ wereheld in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. Subsequently with Japanese initiatives the Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting was inaugurated in Japan in 2004 and continued as an annual multilateral regional meeting.