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Greece-Albania Protocol on Cooperation for Supervision of Sea Areas

Source: Hellenic Coast Guard

Protocol between the Ministry of mercantile marine of the Hellenic Republic and the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania for the cooperation between the Hellenic Coast Guard and the Albanian Border Police for the for the effective supervision of the sea areas between both countries.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Border Control
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Countries involved

Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR)

Source: IFC-IOR Website

The IFC-IOR stems from the importance of the Indian Ocean to world trade and security, and the need for the various maritime nations and organisations to collaborate towards enhancing maritime safety and security on the seas of this region. In addition to utilising the collective wisdom and resources towards addressing myriad challenges in the region, IFC-IOR will help interface and integrate, wherein, all partners and stakeholders would benefit from each other’s best practices and expertise. The Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard jointly administer the IFC. IFC-IOR was established with the vision of strengthening maritime security in the region and beyond, by building a common coherent maritime situation picture and acting as a maritime information hub for the region.

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
Countries involved

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

North Sea and Channel Maritime Information Group (NSCMIG)

The group, consisting of Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, aims to develop processes to share maritime information in support of national maritime safety and security objectives, and to improve maritime situational awareness in the multi-agency maritime environment. With a focus on the North Sea and the Channel, they also aim to work on the integration of existing systems/channels as well as ongoing projects to provide real-time data exchange, while also developing procedures to mutually support common objectives in areas of common maritime interest.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Border Control
Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking and Smuggling and Connected Maritime Law Enforcement
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Customs Activities

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

European Association of Airport and Seaport Police (EAASP)

Source: EAASP Website

The EAASP aims to work in partnership through the mutual exchange of knowledge and practices to make the ports of Europe a safe environment for the communities they serve. The responsibility for the control of seaports within EAASP member countries lies, as it does with aviation, with national organisations. However, the EAASP Maritime Group (EMG) can, and does, play an important role in the coordination and implementation of joint security operations carried out by those organisations, as well as legislative changes relating to the management and security of seaports. The EMG promotes common standards and inter-operability, and aims to develop the exchange of information and intelligence.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Border Control
Maritime Ship and Port Security

Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS)

Source: CBSS Website

The Council of the Baltic Sea States is an overall political forum for regional cooperation. Consisting of 11 Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia & Sweden), as well as a representative of the European Union, it supports a global perspective on regional problems. The Council of the Baltic Sea States functions as a coordinator of a multitude of regional actors in the areas of its three long-term priorities: Regional Identity, Sustainable & Prosperous Region, and Safe & Secure Region. Set up in 1992 to ease the transition to a new international landscape, the organisation today focuses on themes such as societal security, sustainability, research & innovation, as well as countering human trafficking.

Coast Guard Functions
Maritime Border Control

North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum (NACGF)

Source: Defense Media Network

The North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum (NACGF), formed in 2007, aims to increase cooperation amongst member countries on maritime safety and security in the region. The NACGF is not policy or regulatory oriented, is non-binding, voluntary, and operates within existing legal frameworks. Its members are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland have observer status.

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

Mediterranean Coast Guard Functions Forum (MCGFF)

Source: Secretariat General for the Sea - CGF Ops Center

The Mediterranean Coast Guard Functions Forum (MCGFF) is a non-binding, voluntary, independent and non-political forum bringing together representatives from institutions and agencies with related competencies in coast guard functions in the Mediterranean. The aim is to facilitate multilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues such as maritime safety, security and environmental protection activities as well as creating partnerships to share experience and best practices on common problems.

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

Black Sea Cooperation Forum (BSCF)

Source: BSCForum Website

The Black Sea Cooperation Forum was established in 2000, between the Coast Guard / Border Authorities of the Black Sea states, namely Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russian Federation and Georgia. The main purpose is to enhance peace, stability and maritime security in the Black Sea area, by increasing regional co-operation, and improving good relationship. Its tasks include enhancing existing interaction among border/coast guard agencies to prevent illegal activities, as well as strengthening the safety and security of navigation in the Black Sea. It conducts counterterrorism and weapon of mass destruction non-proliferation activities. It aims to help improve cooperation in the areas of fishery protection, search and rescue, marine pollution, marine environmental protection, information exchange, personnel exchange programs, joint/shared training.

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
Countries involved