VZCZCXRO6168
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHSA #2660/01 3620816
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 280816Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0739
INFO RUCPDC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1835

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 002660 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV EWWT PGOV SF
SUBJECT: AFRICAN UNION CONFERENCE RATIFIES MARTIME CHARTER 
 
This cable is part of a series of reporting on regional transport 
infrastructure developments in Southern Africa. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary.  South Africa hosted a week-long African Union 
(AU) Conference for Ministers responsible for maritime transport in 
Durban during the week of October 12.  The AU Maritime Charter was 
initially developed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1993, and was 
adopted by 36 AU member states at the Durban AU Conference.  The 
goals of the charter include "creating a safe, secure, and clean 
maritime transport industry."  The South African Department of 
Transport announced new maritime security initiatives to support the 
AU conference, and unveiled public transport projects to improve 
infrastructure and service delivery during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. 
Continued growth of the African maritime sector will require 
government and private-sector efforts to address piracy threats. 
Economic Assistant attended the AU conference gala dinner hosted by 
South African Minister of Transport S'bu Ndebele.  End Summary. 
 
----------------------- 
AFRICAN UNION DEVELOPS 
MARITIME CHARTER IN 1993 
----------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) An African Charter on Maritime Transport, the Addis Ababa 
Declaration and Plan of Action, was originally developed at a 
conference of African Transport Ministers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 
in 1993.  This charter provided a framework for cooperation among 
member governments of the African Union, and between African and 
non-African countries.  The first follow up AU conference was held 
in Abuja, Nigeria and reviewed the implementation process for the 
Maritime Charter.  The main objective of the second AU conference in 
Durban was to complete the ratification process for the Addis Ababa 
Declaration. 
 
------------------------- 
PROGRESS MADE ON MARITIME 
CHARTER IN DURBAN 
------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The African Union achieved consensus on the Maritime 
Charter on October 16, during the conference in Durban.  The charter 
was adopted by 36 member states with the goals of "creating a safe, 
secure, and clean maritime transport industry."  Also present during 
the deliberations were representatives of other African regional 
economic communities, the European Union and other international 
organizations.  According to Ndebele, the charter maps a solid and 
defined place for the maritime sector in Africa and will help propel 
Africa towards its rightful place in the world economy." 
 
¶4. (SBU) A customs representative from the South African Revenue 
Service told Transport Officer that the major challenges that 
emerged during the ministerial debates and charter adoption process 
centered on linguistic barriers, not policy differences. 
Inaccuracies in the Arabic and French translations often led to 
lengthy deliberations.  The representative also noted that progress 
was made to promote women in the African maritime sector.  Plans are 
underway to create an umbrella organization to promote women within 
the maritime sector and a conference is being planned for Durban in 
¶2010. 
 
--------------------------- 
CHARTER FOCUSES ON BUILDING 
AFRICAN SHIPPING INDUSTRY 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The overall aim of the charter is to implement harmonized 
Africa-wide transport policies to promote sustained growth and 
development of shipping generally and African merchant fleets in 
particular. Some of the practical objectives of the charter include 
the promotion of cooperation among the maritime administrators of 
Qthe promotion of cooperation among the maritime administrators of 
member states through new regional entities, which could ultimately 
lead to improved standards on the coast, in ports, and on the 
continent's inland waterways. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The maritime charter also aims to promote the development 
and use of African national and regional shipping lines and provide 
legislative protection for African operators through cabotage laws. 
(Note: Politically, cabotage regulations restrict trade to domestic 
or regional operators and are a form of protectionism. 
Justifications for cabotage regulations include national security 
and the need to regulate public safety.  End Note.)  The charter 
also encourages the establishment of shippers' councils to represent 
the interest of cargo owners. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The charter recommends the establishment of an integrated 
coast guard network for Africa (split into three separate regions) 
to enforce these steps.  A strong emphasis will also be placed on 
the provision and strengthening of facilities for increased maritime 
training.  This included the need for strengthened state-run port 
 
PRETORIA 00002660  002 OF 002 
 
 
organizations, increasing the number of trained surveyors, and the 
creation of a dedicated maritime university. 
 
------------------------- 
GREATER RESPONSE REQUIRED 
FOR PIRACY THREAT 
------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Ndebele and other speakers highlighted areas of strong 
concern for the maritime sector, including piracy in the Gulf of 
Aden, as well as international dumping of toxic waste in African 
waters and near African ports.  Interpol Executive Director 
Jean-Michel Loubotin explained that pirates operating off the Somali 
coast were under the control of crime syndicates, and that foreign 
criminals have become involved because of the attraction of 
multi-million dollar ransoms.  Loubotin said piracy could now be 
classified as organized crime with policing, social, and economic 
dimensions, but the international naval patrolling capacity in the 
area is not enough to solve the problem. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Ndebele said an adequate response to the current piracy 
threat would require the creation of a combined international force 
with support from all nations, but he did not provide specific 
details about the envisioned force.  According to press reports, 
most African governments (with the exceptions of Kenya and the 
Seychelles who are directly affected) have adopted a hands-off 
approach to piracy, leaving the problem to other international 
forces and the respective shipping lines to resolve. 
 
----------------------------- 
SOUTH AFRICA TO PLAY REGIONAL 
MARITIME LEADERSHIP ROLE 
----------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) The SAG has decided to expand its national maritime data 
collection system to include an Africa Cooperative Data Center to 
support the implementation of the AU Maritime Charter and to improve 
national transport systems for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.  As a part 
of October's National Transport Month, Ndebele announced 
improvements to the South African Center for Sea Watch and Response 
(CSWR) and conducted maritime and aviation table-top rescue 
exercises at the end of October.  CSWR has the capacity to identify 
and track vessels up to 1,000 miles away from its coastline, as well 
as SA-flagged vessels anywhere in the world.  This data, 
automatically transmitted every six hours, can also be displayed on 
an electronic chart which is accessible via a secured website.  Once 
a vessel is identified, full details of the vessel can be accessed 
via a ship's database. 
 
¶11. (SBU) The CSWR has access to the Automatic Identification System 
(AIS) data of ships on the coast in the areas around the major ports 
of South Africa which means a vessel's every move can be tracked. 
According to officials, this system will be enhanced to ensure 
direct contact with the vessel to improve the CSWR's response time 
to maritime incidents.  A Satellite AIS is also being developed to 
receive signals from vessels anywhere on earth and then transmit 
data back to a ground station.  Ndebele emphasized that this 
capability can be another resource that can be used for the benefit 
of all African countries. 
 
¶12. (SBU) The International Maritime Organization (IMO) reports that 
globally there is a chronic shortage of 34,000 seafarer (marine) 
officers and 200,000 non-officers.  According to Ndebele, South 
Africa plans to train 1,200 officers a year and about 7,000 
non-officers.  South Africa is also planning to form at least one 
dedicated maritime university in one of the coastal provinces. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) The African Union reached agreement on the overall 
Q13. (SBU) The African Union reached agreement on the overall 
framework of a Maritime Charter originally developed in 1993, but 
still needs to develop the specific plans for implementation of 
these broad goals.  The ministers met at a time of heightened 
awareness regarding maritime security.  The threat of piracy on the 
Gulf of Aden has affected commercial operations in ports on the 
Eastern coast of the continent.  Continued growth of the African 
maritime sector will require addressing this security threat.  Thus 
far, most efforts have been ad hoc or at the expense of the private 
shipping lines.  African governments will have to make more 
concerted efforts to contain the piracy threat if they hope to 
increase growth in the maritime sector.  End Comment. 
 
GIPS