Enhancing maritime security and domain awareness in Ethiopia

Ethiopia's national maritime stakeholders convened in Addis Ababa (3-6 August) for a roadmap formulation workshop to strengthen inter-agency coordination through the establishment of a National Maritime Information Sharing Centre (NMISC).

Although Ethiopia is landlocked, it remains deeply connected to the maritime domain through its dependence on international shipping, national merchant fleet and maritime administration.

Representatives* from key national institutions focused on strengthening institutional coordination, improving maritime information-sharing arrangements and developing a roadmap that supports both national interests and regional maritime security objectives under the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment (DCoCJA).

The workshop was organized by IMO, with the support of the European Union through the Crisis Response Project for the Red Sea and the Western Indian Ocean (CRP-RedWIO).

Throughout the workshop, participants looked into Ethiopia's existing information-sharing arrangements, reviewing institutional and legal frameworks, identifying operational gaps and developing practical recommendations for the establishment and operationalization of the NMISC.

"The National Maritime Information Sharing Centre will provide Ethiopia with the operational mechanism to transform information into awareness, and awareness into action," said IMO's Mr. Mustafa A. Abdulqader.

Particular attention was given to governance arrangements, standard operating procedures, inter-agency coordination and integration with the wider Djibouti Code of Conduct Information Sharing Network, including cooperation with the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC) in Madagascar and the Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC) in Seychelles.

The workshop concluded with the development of a nationally owned roadmap that defines a clear pathway towards establishing the Centre and identifies priorities for future technical assistance, institutional development, training and capacity-building.

*Representatives attending the workshop were drawn from the Ethiopian Maritime Authority, Ethiopian Navy, Federal Police, Customs Commission, Ministry of Justice, Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics, and other agencies responsible for maritime governance, security and law enforcement.