VZCZCXRO1379
OO RUEHTRO
DE RUEHC #3199/01 3550119
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 200111Z DEC 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 STATE 133199 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EWWT KCRM MOPS PBTS PHSA PTER
SUBJECT: INVITATION TO CONTACT GROUP ON SOMALI PIRACY 
 
REF: A. STATE 129941 
     ¶B. STATE 125514 
 
-------- 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
¶1. This is an action request. UN Security Council Resolution 
(UNSCR) 1851, adopted unanimously on December 16, 2008, calls 
for the establishment of a mechanism for international 
cooperation to deal with all aspects of combating piracy off 
Somalia,s coast.  Pursuant to resolution 1851, the U.S has 
proposed the formation of a Contact Group on Somali Piracy 
(CGSP), with the participation of 22 countries and five 
international organizations.  The Department requests action 
addressees invite an assistant secretary-level official to 
participate in the inaugural meeting of the Contact Group on 
Somali Piracy (CGSP), proposed for January 13-14, 2009, in 
New York City. 
 
----------- 
OBJECTIVES 
----------- 
 
FOR ALL ADDRESSEES 
 
¶2. Posts are requested to engage host governments and 
organizations to pursue the following objectives: 
 
-- Extend appreciation for their support of a counter-piracy 
contact group and, if also a Council Member, for support of 
UNSCR 1851. 
 
-- Extend appreciation, as appropriate, for actions taken to 
help address the piracy problem off the coast of Somalia ) 
i.e., national contributions or as part of EU, NATO, or 
Combined Task Force 150 missions. 
 
-- Request and confirm participation of an assistant 
secretary-level official at the anticipated inaugural meeting 
of the Contact Group on Somali Piracy (CGSP) in New York on 
January 13-14, 2009.  We expect to host a reception on the 
evening of January 13 with a full day of discussion on 
January 14. 
 
 
STATE 00133199  002 OF 005 
 
 
-- Brief on proposed Agenda and solicit input. 
 
-- Brief on draft Statement of Principles and ask that they 
be prepared to discuss the Statement at the CGSP meeting. 
 
-- Ask that they be prepared to discuss how the CGSP should 
address the six focus areas and how they can contribute to 
those areas of focus. 
 
------------------- 
REPORTING DEADLINE 
------------------- 
 
¶3. Posts are requested to confirm participation of named 
individual(s) and provide any feedback to the Proposed Agenda 
and areas of focus by December 31. 
 
----------------------------------- 
DRAFT CGSP STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4. -- The Contact Group on Somali Piracy (CGSP) is 
established to facilitate discussion and coordinate the 
activities of states and international organizations to 
suppress piracy off the coast of Somalia pursuant to United 
Nations Security Council Resolution 1851. 
 
-- CGSP membership is composed of regional countries affected 
by piracy and those nations having the capability to 
undertake or help build the capacity of regional partners to 
undertake effective counter-piracy measures.  The following 
22 nations constitute the founding membership of the CGSP: 
Australia, China, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Germany, 
Greece, India, Japan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, The 
Netherlands, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia Transitional 
Federal Government, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the 
United Kingdom, the United States and Yemen.  Additionally, 
five organizations will participate as observers: the African 
Union, the European Union, the International Maritime 
Organization, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the 
United Nations Secretariat.  Membership or observer status 
may be extended to other countries or organizations by 
consensus of the founding members. 
 
-- The Contact Group on Somali Piracy notes that piracy off 
the Horn of Africa grew dramatically in 2008 and that attacks 
on shipping can be expected to increase in numbers and 
sophistication without enhanced international efforts.  In 
2008, over 100 attacks, including over 40 successful 
 
STATE 00133199  003 OF 005 
 
 
seizures, have resulted in hundreds of sailors taken hostage. 
 The pirates have been demanding million-dollar ransoms for 
release of the hostages, ships and cargoes.  Somali-based 
piracy disrupts critical humanitarian aid deliveries to 
Somalia, causes shipping insurance premiums along one of the 
world,s most traveled routes to rise to near-prohibitive 
levels, adds crippling costs and causes losses of crucial 
revenue by forcing the diversion of vessels around the Cape 
of Good Hope, and raises the prospect of an environmental 
disaster as ships fall prey to hostile intent.  Piracy 
weakens security and rule of law in Somalia and is a threat 
to regional stability. 
 
-- To address and coordinate effective international 
responses to piracy off the coast of Somalia, it is proposed 
that the Contact Group will focus on six areas: 
 
1)    Enhance Information and Intelligence Sharing:  The CGSP 
will review the status of current intelligence sharing. 
Additionally, the CGSP will advocate for the establishment of 
a regional Counter-Piracy Coordination Center (CPCC) to share 
and disseminate information. 
 
2)    Coordinate Military Activities among Organizations and 
Nations:  The CGSP will review current military coordination 
mechanisms and develop options for improving coordination. 
It will also work to increase force presence and support to 
conduct regional counter-piracy law enforcement operations. 
 
3)    Promote a &Judicial Track8 to Arrest, Detain and 
Prosecute Pirates:  The CGSP will assess and develop, as 
appropriate, legal arrangements for apprehending, 
incarcerating and prosecuting persons seized in 
counter-piracy operations, and coordinate assistance where 
necessary to build the judicial capacity of regional powers 
to conduct prosecutions. 
 
4)    Advocate an Increase in Maritime Self-Defense 
Capabilities:  The CGSP will seek greater self protection of 
commercial vessels. 
 
5)    Interdict Financial Flows to Pirate Organizations:  The 
CGPS will advocate for and advise on the use of national 
capabilities to gather, assess and share financial 
intelligence on pirate operations.  The goal of these efforts 
is to trace payments to pirate organizations and apprehend 
the leaders, enablers and beneficiaries. 
 
6)    Increase Public Diplomacy Activities:  The CGSP will 
 
STATE 00133199  004 OF 005 
 
 
review current public outreach activities and develop plans 
to discourage piracy by emphasizing its destructive effects 
on local populations and regional prosperity, highlighting 
the severe consequences for pirates.  Simultaneously, the 
CGSP will serve as a forum to promote the message that the 
international community is not at war with Somalia, and to 
offer the Somali people support for their economic rights in 
Somalia,s territorial waters. 
 
-------------------------- 
PROPOSED MEETING SEQUENCE 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5. The Contact Group on Somali Piracy sessions will begin 
with a reception on the evening of 13 January. On 14 January, 
venues and meeting times in New York for the full Contact 
Group have yet to be finalized, but a plenary session will 
begin the session, followed by break out/working group 
meetings.  There should be sufficient room to accommodate 
each country,s principal representative and one aide ( 1). 
 
We propose the following draft agenda, but would be amenable 
to suggestions: 
 
1)    Review of UNSC Resolutions 1851 and 1846 
 
2)    Review proposed CGSP Statement of Principles 
 
3)    Discuss proposed Terms of Reference/Work Plan 
 
4)    Discuss logistic and financial support for CGSP 
 
5)    Reach agreement on next steps and future meetings 
 
6)    Develop and release CGSP communiqu 
 
----------- 
BACKGROUND 
----------- 
 
¶6. UNSC Resolution 1851 calls for an international 
cooperation mechanism to address piracy off the coast of 
Somalia, authorizes individual states cooperating with the 
Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and at the 
TFG,s request to conduct counter-piracy operations in 
Somalia, and calls for international support to build the 
judicial capacity of regional states to carry out their 
obligations to combat piracy.  The U.S.-led resolution won 
unanimous support, with most Council members saying they had 
 
STATE 00133199  005 OF 005 
 
 
voted in favor of the text because they sought robust action 
and welcomed the practical measures contained in the 
resolution. 
 
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POINTS OF CONTACT 
------------------ 
 
¶7. Department POCs are in PM/PPA:  David Glancy at (202) 
736-4054, Donna Hopkins at (202) 647-0792, Evan Foster at 
(202) 647-0336, or by email. 
RICE