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General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)

Source: FAO Website

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) is a regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) established under the provisions of Article XIV of the FAO Constitution. The main objective of the GFCM is to ensure the conservation and the sustainable use, at the biological, social, economic and environmental level, of living marine resources as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and in the Black Sea (GFCM area of application). The GFCM is currently composed of 24 members (23 member countries and the European Union) who contribute to its autonomous budget to finance its functioning and 5 Cooperating non Contracting Parties (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Jordan, Moldova and Ukraine).

Coast Guard Functions
Fisheries Inspection & Control

Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)

Source: FAO Website

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the FAO supports all efforts to promote Blue Growth - with its emphasis on reconciling social and economic development with environmental performance - to all fisheries and aquaculture policies. It promotes and supports the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, in addition to providing scientific advice, strategic planning, and training materials. It serves as a neutral forum to discuss issues related to international cooperation and multistakeholder approaches. The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) used by the FAO is the appropriate and practical way to implement the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

Coast Guard Functions
Fisheries Inspection & Control

European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM)

Source: European Commission Website

The overall objective of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism is to strengthen cooperation between the EU Member States and 6 Participating States in the field of civil protection, with a view to improve prevention, preparedness and response to disasters. When the scale of an emergency overwhelms the response capabilities of a country, it can request assistance via the Mechanism. The European Commission plays a key role in coordinating the response to disasters in Europe and beyond and contributes to at least 75% of the transport and/or operational costs of deployments. In addition to the EU Member States, the six participating states are Iceland, Norway, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Turkey.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response

Greece-Italian MOU on Cooperation in Search and Rescue

Source: Hellenic Coast Guard

Memorandum of Understanding between the government of the Hellenic Republic and the government of the Italian Republic on Cooperation in Search and Rescue Operations in the Ionian Sea (2000).

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Search and Rescue
Countries involved

Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Port State Control

Source: Paris MOU Website

The Paris MOU is based on the principle that the prime responsibility for compliance with the requirements laid down in the international maritime conventions lies with the ship-owner/operator. Responsibility for ensuring compliance remains with the flag State. It aims to eliminate the operation of sub-standard ships through a harmonized system of port State control. The members are Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Ship and Port Security

Information Fusion Centre – Singapore (IFC)

Source: IFC Website

The Information Fusion Centre (IFC) is a regional Maritime Security (MARSEC) centre hosted by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). The IFC aims to facilitate information sharing and collaboration between its partners to enhance MARSEC. Since its inception, the IFC has been at the forefront of providing actionable information to cue responses by regional and international navies, coast guards and other maritime agencies to deal with the full range of MARSEC threats and incidents. This includes piracy, sea robbery, weapons proliferation, maritime terrorism, as well as contraband and drug smuggling. On addition to RSN personnel the centre hosts liaison officers from 24 countries i.e. Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, China, Chile, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Republic of Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management
Maritime Border Control
Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking and Smuggling and Connected Maritime Law Enforcement
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Maritime Ship and Port Security

International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation

Source: IALA AISM website

Initially, IALA was a non-profit, international technical association. Established in 1957, it gathered marine aids to navigation authorities, manufacturers, consultants, and, scientific and training institutes from all parts of the world to exchange and compare their experiences and achievements. On 22 August 2024, it officially changed its status from a Non-governmental Organization (NGO) to an Intergovernmental Organization (IGO) based on a Convention.
The aim of IALA is to foster the safe, economic and efficient movement of vessels, through improvement and harmonisation of aids to navigation worldwide and other appropriate means, for the benefit of the maritime community and the protection of the environment.

It provides for recommendations (soft law).
 

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management

International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)

Source: ICAO Website

The International Civil Aviation Organization is a UN specialized agency, established in 1944 to manage the administration and governance of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention). ICAO works with the Convention’s 193 Member States and industry groups to reach consensus on international civil aviation Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and policies in support of a safe, efficient, secure, economically sustainable and environmentally responsible civil aviation sector. These ensure local civil aviation operations and regulations conform to global norms, allowing more than 100,000 daily flights in aviation’s global network to operate safely and reliably, many over the world’s oceans and seas.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response

European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) Joint Deployment Plans

Source: EFCA Website

The EFCA coordinates the implementation of Specific Control and Inspection Programmes (SCIP) for the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea and the Western Waters. EFCA, with the MS’s, provides a specific organisational framework for operational coordination of control activities in the different areas, known as Joint Deployment Plan (JDP’s). The JDPs are for fisheries/areas prioritised by the European Commission and the MS’s concerned. They can be for European Union waters for which the SCIP has been adopted by the Commission with the Member States, or for International waters under the competence of an RFMO, such as NAFO or NEAFC, where EFCA is requested to coordinate the implementation of the EU obligations under an International Control and Inspection Scheme.

Coast Guard Functions
Fisheries Inspection & Control

European Coast Guard Functions Forum (ECGFF)

Source: ECGFF Website

The European Coast Guard Functions Forum (ECGFF) is a self-governing, non-binding, voluntary, independent and non-political forum bringing together the Coast Guard authorities from 25 EU Member States and Schengen associated countries, as well as representatives of the EU institutions and bodies with competencies related to EU CG Functions. Since its establishment in 2009 the European Commission and EU Agencies, have supported the ECGFF. The rotating chair, supported by a secretariat, governs the Forum with responsibility to implement the annual programme. Bringing together over 30 national coastguard authorities from EU countries and associated Schengen countries, it works on collaborative issues i.e. multi-agency, multinational operations and capacity building among CG academies.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management
Ship Casualty & Maritime Assistance Service
Fisheries Inspection & Control
Maritime Border Control
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking and Smuggling and Connected Maritime Law Enforcement
Maritime Search and Rescue
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Customs Activities
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Maritime Ship and Port Security

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