France has officially joined the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC-JA), a regional effort aimed at tackling piracy, armed robbery at sea, and other illegal maritime activities in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. The signing took place on November 11 at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Headquarters in London, where Her Excellency Mrs. Marine de Carné de Trécesson de Coëtlogon, France’s Ambassador to the IMO, submitted the instrument to Ms. Dorota Lost-Sieminska, the Director of Legal Affairs at the IMO.
With this addition, France becomes the 19th country to sign the DCoC-JA, reinforcing commitments to bolster maritime security, enhance information sharing, and support capacity-building initiatives aimed at preventing human trafficking and ensuring the safety of ports and ships. The IMO plays a crucial role in facilitating the implementation of the DCoC-JA, collaborating with various partners and donor nations.
The Jeddah Amendment enhances coordination among signatory states, which are convening for the 8th High-Level Meeting in Mauritius from November 12-14. This meeting will focus on updates regarding maritime crime, information sharing, and operational cooperation at sea. The DCoC-JA, which builds upon the original Djibouti Code of Conduct established in 2009, has broadened its focus since 2017 to include a variety of illicit activities, such as illegal fishing, trafficking, and environmental crimes.
