SHADE MED, 4th edition of the forum on migration in the Mediterranean sea managed by operation SOPHIA
On the 8th and 9th June 2017 EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia hosted the fourth edition of “Shared Awareness and De-confliction in the Mediterranean Sea (SHADE MED)” at the Francesco Baracca airbase in Rome.
This edition gathered an outstanding participation: 188 attendees, from 37 countries and 98 organizations (58 national, 28 international and 12 NGO´s) were involved in this first SHADE MED event of 2017.
“The SHADE MED is a valuable way to share information and best practice to disrupt the smugglers Business Model, and increase Maritime Security in the region” as underlined in the opening remarks.
Key note speeches focusing on the need for effective cooperation, in particular between law enforcement agencies and the military, were delivered by representatives of the EEAS, EUROPOL and INTERPOL, followed by operational updates from Operation Sophia, Italian Operation Mare Sicuro, NATO, the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (I.M.R.C.C.) and the European Border and Coastguard Agency Frontex.
The plenary session was followed by working group panels divided into six different thematic (operational, smuggling business model, communication and information systems, capacity building and training activities in Libya, migration-search and rescue-shipping and legal) where experiences, emerging trends and best practices were discussed.
In his opening remarks, Rear Admiral Enrico Credendino, operation SOPHIA Commander, stated: “the need to cooperate and work together is stronger than ever”. All stakeholders should enhance their cooperation to disrupt the smugglers business model that is claiming so many lives in the Mediterranean.
“The organized violation of the basic rights of a group of people has led me to realize that, under certain circumstances, migrant smuggling and human trafficking, taking place in Libya, should be considered as an international crime against humanity. In the past months, I shared this idea with a number of international and national partners and obtained a wide backing” added Credendino in order to be more effective in the prosecuting process.
Additionally, he stated the need to establish the first European Observatory on Human traffickers and migrant smugglers, with the aim of sharing data and information in a structured manner.
Sophia was pleased with the participation of its Libyan partners at the SHADE MED and hopes that others will join the operation in assisting the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy to build their capacity so that they can protect their territorial waters and end all illicit traffics and save lives.
The SHADE MED, once again, managed to facilitate an environment that allowed participants to embrace what was mentioned by the INTERPOL Special Representative to the EU during his key note speech: “Sharing is power” and this can make us progress.