Security and safety of the seas in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is vital to world trade and the economic prosperity of many nations. The scale, scope and the multinational nature of activities at sea, necessitates a collaborative approach to maritime security. Considering this, the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean region (IFC-IOR), Gurugram was launched in Dec 18 by the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri for enhancing maritime safety and security in the region. The centre has thus far established linkages with more than 16 countries and 13 international maritime security agencies.
To facilitate sharing of best practices in maritime information sharing and better understand the maritime security challenges in the IOR, the Indian Navy is hosting a Maritime Information Sharing Workshop (MISW) from 12-13 Jun 19, at the IFC-IOR. Over 50 delegates from about 30 countries would be participating in the workshop. The event would include interactive sessions by subject matter experts from the participating countries, on issues such as maritime piracy, human and drug trafficking and the legal aspects of combating these challenges. A table top information sharing exercise would also be conducted as part of the workshop. The Deputy Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy would be inaugurating the workshop.