Ghana Navy hosts maiden International Maritime Defence Conference and Exhibition

The Ghana Navy is hosting the maiden International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference in Accra to discuss maritime challenges, exchange innovative ideas and explore technological solutions towards maintaining maritime security and safeguard the maritime domain.

The two-day conference brought together over 50 chief naval staffs in Africa and across the world, coastal guards, service chiefs, researchers, regulators and players in the maritime industry, to discuss strategies to ensure sustainable exploitation of the Blue Economy for national development.

They will also share various maritime strategies to ensure safe and secured maritime environment in the Gulf of Guinea and across the world.

It is being held under the theme: “Empowering Regional Collaboration to Enhance Maritime Security and Regional Development in the Gulf of Guinea”.

The conference was also used to mark the 60th anniversary of the Ghana Navy, held on the theme: “Celebrating 60 years of Naval Excellence, Securing the Maritime Domain for National Development”.

The event attracted more than 80 defence solution providers across the world, exhibiting various maritime technological solutions, to deal with the maritime security threats.

Rear Admiral Seth Amoama, Chief of the Naval Staff, in his welcome address, said maritime crimes such as illegal oil bunkering, drug trafficking, armed robbery, illegal fishing and maritime pollution abound in the global maritime domain.

These crimes, he said, did not only threaten national and regional peace, but also posed great threat to the economies of coastal and non-coastal countries.

To address such maritime challenges, he underlined the need for extensive regional collaboration among maritime security services and other stakeholders, to deal with maritime crimes as well as increased dialogue on cross border co-operation, information sharing and goodwill visits.

Rear Admiral Amoamo said the signing of the Yaounde Code of Conduct was another significant effort made by countries in the Gulf of Guinea to deal with maritime crimes.

He said though the process of operationalising the Code of Conduct has been slow and flawed with challenges, they were gradually making progress.

Apart from the sub-regional efforts to curb maritime crimes, he said, there had been international initiatives such as joint exercises with other foreign naval ships, aimed at improving interoperability among the naval forces.

These joint exercises, he said, provided the platform for heads of navies and coast guards, to dialogue and brainstorm on maritime security threats in the Gulf of Guinea and achieved some successes in combating maritime security.

He called for continuous co-operation and collaboration among global maritime stakeholders for sustainable exploitation of the Blue Economy since no single nation could solve the maritime challenges.