For Jack Lang: in the face of pirates, we must act faster, stronger
Jack Lang was before the Political and Security Committee (COPS) on Tuesday to convince member states to support his company. The essence of his message is simple: we must act " faster, stronger Because for the moment, as acknowledged by Jack Lang, tasked by the UN Secretary General with finding legal solutions to piracy, the pirates have won the game. There should also be no hesitation in using more offensive tactics, such as monitoring the Somali coast, acting on land, "recovering by force" ships taken hostage. He also believes that the main threat remains "impunity" which must be overcome. States must therefore not neglect to use the universal jurisdiction conferred on them by the Montego Bay Convention to prosecute pirates. Finally, if the link between piracy and terrorism has not yet been proven (with a few local exceptions), it is not excluded now, underlines the UN report on piracy.
The pirates are winning the game
« It's still strong - underlines the UN rapporteur on piracy - we have on one side 1500 pirates and on the other the whole world, States, shipping companies. And so far, they've won the sprint. If we want to defeat this maritime piracy, we must act quickly, time is of the essence. (...) Far from being contained, the phenomenon continues to grow. We hardly know a day today without a committed and/or successful attack. » The Pirates " are better and better equipped. As the ransoms make it possible to equip the skiffs. They are becoming better informed. »
Act stronger: long live the offensive action
It is necessary " protecting » the mandate of the European operation Atalanta « of which we have not said enough how useful it was ". But Jack Lang believes that it is not so much a question of means as of tactics. " Not sure one or two more ships would be a game changer saw the area to be covered. " I rather believe that we can develop certain methods, certain techniques: approaching the coast as closely as possible, using more what is called "recovery by force" ».
He is more reserved on private groups. “international law does not allow them to attack. These private groups can threaten, alert, warn but must not turn into a force of aggression or attack. »
The risk of the link with terrorism is approaching
« The risk is that the link is made with another phenomenon, terrorism. For the moment, this has not been done, except at the margin notes Jack Lang. " The two groups operate in different geographical areas: piracy in the north, terrorism in the south. They have different motivations: pure villainy on one side, politics. »
Bringing to justice: States must not shirk their responsibilities
« Since the Montego Bay convention. All States have the possibility of using universal jurisdiction and trying them. If more states took Kenya's example and agreed to try the pirates, that would be an important point.. And Jack Lang to denounce those who discard themselves. " Some say we are already helping Atalanta, others say we are helping development. But the legal question is nodal. It is desirable that following the example of Kenya or the Netherlands. Nothing prevents it, contemporary law allows it. » On the one hand, we have military sophistication and on the other jurisdictional impotence.
Everything has not been done to go up the channels.
« We must tackle the big fish, the sponsors, whose names are known. One is in prison in Puntland. But, despite certain efforts, not everything has been done to trace the channels, to apprehend these characters »
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