The African Union (AU) is scheduled to hold an Extraordinary Summit on Maritime Security and Development for Africa on October 15 and 16 2016 in Lomé, Togo.

The announcement was made during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in New York on Monday to address the problems of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

During the UNSC meeting the organisation reiterated a call for a comprehensive regional framework to eradicate piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea.

“We believe the Summit will provide a unique opportunity for the countries of the region to renew their commitment to jointly enhance the maritime security architecture in the Gulf of Guinea,” said Tayé-Brook Zerihoun, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

“The Security Council remains deeply concerned about the threat that piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea pose to international navigation, the security and economic development of states in the region, to the safety and welfare of seafarers and other persons, as well as the safety of commercial maritime routes,” the 15-member body said in a Presidential statement.

While there has been a steady decline in the number of recorded incidents of piracy, armed robbery at sea and other illicit and illegal activities in the Gulf of Guinea over the past few years, insecurity at sea remains a source of concern.

In the first quarter of 2016, the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre recorded six attacks and six attempted attacks in the Gulf of Guinea, including nine in Nigeria, one in Côte d’Ivoire, and two within the territorial waters of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The UNSC also called for the prosecution of the pirates and the immediate and safe release of all seafarers who had been taken hostage.

However, it also stressed the importance of addressing the underlying causes of piracy and for strengthening the justice systems and judicial cooperation in the region.

“The Security Council emphasises that regional peace and stability, the strengthening of State institutions, economic and social development and respect for human rights, and the rule of law, are all necessary to create the conditions for a durable eradication of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea,” the Presidential statement said.

The Council further encouraged states in the region, regional organisations and international partners to make fully operational all the regional counter piracy and armed robbery at sea mechanisms, and urged bilateral and multilateral partners to continue assisting States of the Gulf of Guinea with funds, skills, training and equipment.

“Ultimately, countering the current threats requires a combination of capacities in including qualitative improvements in the collection of intelligence; the sharing and improved analyses of intelligence; enhancement of the capacities – both infrastructure and training – of local enforcement agencies of the Gulf of Guinea countries; and the establishment of an effective customs and border control system throughout the sub-region,” said Zerihoun.

In addition, he said it is important to avoid duplication of international capacity-building efforts with respect to maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea.