Insights on the Somalia Piracy Resolution
Yesterday Russia briefed Council members at the expert level on the draft Somalia piracy resolution it has prepared following Jack Lang’s (the Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia) recommendations in his January report.
P5 members have been consulting on the draft and the US which is undertaking a policy review on Somalia has asked for more time to consider the draft resolution. It also seems that the UK has shown some concern about the financial implications of establishing a new court system.
The key focus of the resolution appears to be on legal issues connected to piracy, particularly related to Lang’s proposal for the establishment of a new court system for prosecution of suspected piracy. (Lang had suggested specialised courts in Somaliland and Puntland and a specialised extraterritorial Somali court in a third country.)
Some elected Council members are becoming annoyed at the P5 dominance of the issue and believe that a draft should be circulated to all members next week.
