Enough talking: 5 ways to fight piracy in the Gulf of Guinea
A textbook example of how to combat piracy emerged in 2009, when - encouraged by the United Nations - an international contact group was established to create a forum for dialogue to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia.
早在2009年出現了一個如何打擊海盜的教科書式實例，當時在聯合國支持下，成立了一個國際聯絡小組，以建立打擊索馬利亞沿岸海盜的交流平臺。
Jakob P.Larsen (Head of Maritime Safety & Security) believes the time has come to establish in the Gulf of Guinea the type of working group that has proved so successful off the coast of Somalia.
Jakob P.Larsen先生（BIMCO海事安全主管）認為，事實證明工作小組應對索馬利亞沿岸海盜是非常成功的，現在正是在幾內亞灣建立類似工作小組的時候。
「Right now, the pirates are in control-for example, in international waters off Nigeria. They can use the sea for exactly what they want,」 says Larsen. 「They are not being challenged in international waters and, as a result, have nearly total control of the sea. We have to change the risk/reward ratio. It has to be far less attractive to be a pirate in the Gulf of Guinea.」
Larsen先生表示，「目前，海盜已經控制了如奈及利亞外的公海，肆意妄為。海盜在公海上沒有受到打擊，因此幾乎完全控制了公海。我們必須改變幾內亞灣海盜的風險回報率，迫使成為海盜的想法將大幅下降。」
Out of the Somalia contact group evolved five working groups, which looked at different aspects of the problem, including: naval cooperation, legal issues, ship self-defence measures, public diplomacy, and coordinated international efforts to identify and disrupt the financial networks of pirate leaders and their financiers.
索馬利亞聯絡組由五個工作小組組成，負責研究該問題的五個方面，包括：與海軍合作、法律問題、船舶自衛措施、公共外交和協調國際力量、查明和破壞海盜頭目及其資助者的金融網絡。
We know what needs to be done
我們要採取切實行動
Establishment of the contact group was a cornerstone in curbing piracy off Somalia, and the number of incidents and attacks has greatly reduced. According to Larsen, it can be done in the Gulf of Guinea, too.
建立聯絡小組是遏制索馬利亞海盜的基石，襲擊事件的數量已大幅下降。Larsen先生表示，這在幾內亞灣也能做到。
India has submitted a paper to the upcoming IMO Maritime Security Committee meeting in June, suggesting the establishment of such a group. This is the first time such a proposal has been put forward for the Gulf of Guinea.
早在2019年6月召開的IMO海事安全委員會會議上，印度提交了一份文件，建議成立一個聯絡小組，這是首次為幾內亞灣提出類似的建議。
「The establishment of this type of contact group is something we, from the industry, strongly support. That said, it is important it does not turn into a talking shop. There has been enough talking - we need tangible action," says Larsen.
Larsen先生表示，「我們業界大力支持成立這種聯繫小組。即便如此，重要的是不變成紙上談兵。空談已經夠多了，我們需要採取切實行動。」
He points out that a lot of the work already done in the contact group for Somalia can be applied to the Gulf of Guinea, and that there is no reason to spend a lot of time scrutinising the applicable, international law
Larsen先生指出，索馬利亞聯絡小組已完成的許多工作都可適用於幾內亞灣，沒理由再花費大量時間仔細研究適用的國際法。
「I would argue that you can now start to look at specific solutions, even when it comes to legislation,」 Larsen says
Larsen先生表示，「我認為現在可以開始研究具體的解決方案，即使是在立法方面也是如此。」
「If the regional coastal states wanted to change their laws and prosecute pirates, they could do it. At the end of the day, all you need is a country with a government with the political will, a functional judicial system, and a prison.」
「如果沿幾內亞灣各國想修訂其內國法並起訴海盜，有何不可呢。歸根結底，人們所需要的就是這樣一個國家：政府有政治意願、司法系統運作良好、監獄用得其所。」
As a visible sign of law and order, prosecution and imprisonment in the region would be the preferred solution. However, international law allows for any country to carry out piracy trials, so Gulf of Guinea pirates could be legally prosecuted and imprisoned in some of the jurisdictions that have so proudly stood up to the Somali piracy challenge.
作為法治秩序的風向標，提起公訴和將其送入監獄是該地區的首選解決方案。但是，國際法允許任何國家對海盜進行審判，因此，在某些自豪地制裁了索馬利亞海盜司法管轄的地區裡，幾內亞灣海盜也完全可會被起訴和監禁。
Corruption is best tackled head on
迎頭痛擊腐敗問題
Should a contact group be established, but fail to deliver results - despite all the good intentions and because of poor governance - it will be a litmus test for the current efforts to build anti-piracy capacity in the region. Continued funding of projects that have little or no chance of success because of corruption only fuels the vicious circle of corruption and prolongs the problems.
如果成立聯絡小組出於良好用意，但因為治理不善未能取得成效，這將是對該區域目前建立反海盜能力的立見分曉的檢驗辦法。繼續為因腐敗而不太可能或根本沒有成功機會的項目提供資金，只會加劇腐敗的惡性循環並延長問題持續的時間。
「If the contact group fails to deliver tangible results because of mismanagement of allocated funds, we will at least know the region is not ready to receive continued capacity building. In that case. the scarce resources must be directed to other solutions with a better chance of success,」 Larsen Says.
Larsen先生表示，「如果聯絡小組由於資金分配管理不善而未能取得切實成果，我們至少會知道該地區尚未準備好繼續進行反海盜能力建設。在這種情況下，必須將稀缺的資源用於其他解決方案，才有機會獲得更大的成功。」
A major reason Larsen believes a similar set-up would work well for the Gulf of Guinea is that, compared to Somalia - which is regarded by many as a failed state - the Gulf of Guinea has functional governments in all states.
Larsen先生認為，設立類似的聯絡組對幾內亞灣行之有效的一個主要原因是，與索馬利亞相比，幾內亞灣在所有國家都設有職能政府，而索馬利亞被許多國家視為癱瘓。
Some critics have argued that corruption in the Gulf of Guinea prevents effective solutions to the piracy problem, but Larsen is optimistic.
一些批評的聲音認為，幾內亞灣的腐敗阻礙了海盜問題的有效解決，但Larsen先生對此持樂觀態度。
「I am aware that, reportedly, certain capacity-building projects have been marred by corruption and, as a result, have not met their objectives satisfactorily. That said, I am certain that, if we talk openly about the problems, there will be enough of a strong regional interest for governments to overcome such challenges,」 he says.
Larsen先生表示，「據我所知的報導，某些反海盜項目被腐敗破壞，因此未能令人滿意地實現其目標。雖然如此，但我相信，如果我們公開討論這些問題，各國政府將有足夠強烈的地區利益來克服這些挑戰。」
「Call me naive, but that is, after all, what a state is about: providing security and prosperity for its citizens. With the establishment of a contact group with clear objectives and reliable oversight mechanisms, I am certain the many forces in the region will vastly outnumber-and prevail over the evil.」
「可以說我天真，但畢竟一個國家的意義是：為公民提供安全與繁榮。我相信，隨著具有明確目標和可靠監督機制聯絡小組的建立，該地區的正義力量將遠超並戰勝邪惡勢力。」
Five building blocks in fighting piracy in the Gulf of Guinea
五個打擊幾內亞灣海盜的基石
1. Law-enforcement capabilities
執法能力
2. Legal framework
法律框架
3. Cooperation with the shipping industry
與航運業合作
4. Public diplomacy and advocacy - Establish core message
公共外交和宣傳-建立核心信息
5. Removing incentives for piracy and corruption
消滅海盜和腐敗的誘因
With support from the international community and the will of the countries in the Gulf of Guinea, piracy can be reduced greatly – and, in fact, be brought under control – if a contact group is set up and action taken.
在國際社會的支持和幾內亞灣國家的意願下，如果設立了聯絡小組並採取行動，海盜活動就可以大大減少並處於控制之中。