From 16-18 October 2023, the 1st IORIS Steering Committee Board and Working Group Meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya, gathered representatives from numerous government agencies and international partners, totaling 41 agencies across the Indo-Pacific region.
Upon the request of the EU-CRIMARIO, the Philippines was represented on the Policy Board, Legal, Technical, and Operational Working Groups. The Philippine delegation was led by Engr. Ronaldo P. Bandalaria, Director of the Enforcement Service at the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), and included inter-agency representatives from the National Coast Watch Center (NCWC), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Amb. Henriette Gieger, Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Kenya, delivered a keynote speech highlighting the EU’s role in funding projects and emphasizing the crucial importance of member states in maximizing the significance of the IORIS platform for maritime security.
Meanwhile. Hon. Salim Mvurya CBS, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs, expressed strong support for EU-CRIMARIO and urged participants to collaborate and engage in information sharing to fully utilize the platform.
For his part, Mr. Martin Cauchi Inglot, Director of EU-CRIMARIO, extended his gratitude to the participants and encouraged consensus efforts to operationalize IORIS.
The three-day steering committee conference concluded successfully, with plans to reconvene in Sri Lanka in March 2024, reflecting a positive outlook for the interoperability of the IORIS platform. In the meantime, working groups will hold Zoom meetings to prepare for the next session of the steering committee conference.
In closing, OGW Bruno I. Shioso, Director General of the Kenya Coastguard Service, expressed optimism regarding the trust and confidence of each member state in the interoperability status of the IORIS platform, underscoring its role in achieving information sharing for the maritime security of all participating states.
Looking ahead, EU-CRIMARIO is scheduled to visit the Philippines from 28 November to 01 December 2023, for inter-agency simulation exercises.