Why In News?
Director General of Indian Coast Guard K Natarajan was on Thursday elected as the next executive director of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP)
- The Indian candidate obtained two-thirds majority receiving 14 votes out of a total of 21 member countries of ReCAAP.
- In its statement, the MEA said the DG Indian Coast Guard was elected as the next Executive Director of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre, Singapore.
The next executive director is expected to take charge in 2022
What is ReCAAP?
The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) is the first regional government-to-government agreement to promote and enhance cooperation against piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia.
The ReCAAP Agreement was launched in November 2006 with 14 Asian Contracting Parties including North, Southeast, and South Asian countries.
- It has 20 Contracting Parties today, including Europe (Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United Kingdom), Australia, and the United States.
Three Pillars: Information sharing, capacity building and mutual legal assistance are the three pillars of co-operation under the ReCAAP agreement.
An ISC has been established at Singapore in 2006 to collate and disseminate the information among the contracting parties and the maritime community.
Union Government has designated Indian Coast Guard as the focal point within India for ReCAAP.
News Source : MEA
