Current Legal Developments UN Security Council

摘要

UN Security Council Resolution 1976 (2011) and Efforts to Support Piracy Prosecutions According to the International Maritime Bureau, piracy incidents "hit an all time high" in the first three months of 2011, with Somali pirates accounting for 97 attacks, 16 vessels hijacked, 299 seafarers taken hostage, three injured and seven killed.' At the same time, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General, Jack Lang, noted in an address to the Security Council in January that, according to EUNAVFOR, 90% of pirate suspects captured were being released without charge.2 As Somali pirate attacks become more frequent and violent, occur in a greater geographical area, and net higher ransom payments, pressure to find effective means of prosecuting piracy suspects is increasing. This note reviews the efforts taken by the Security Council to tackle this issue, and considers possible future developments.