Security: a prerequisite to the ASEAN economic development.

Gathering around 630 M of inhabitants, ASEAN region has become the third biggest consumer market in the world (behind China and India). Economic forecasts are really optimistic in the region, with a current average annual growth rate of 6%.

Security questions were a key point during the latest ASEAN summit. During this session, focusing on the creation of a single space among ASEAN countries, every participant agreed of the fact that security is a prerequisite to the regional economic development. Natural disasters, piracy in the Malacca Strait, terrorist risks, industrial and infrastructural development and technology dependence are many challenges that local authorities have henceforth to tackle to elevate ASEAN at world leading union level.

• Major Risks: Asia most affected between now and 2100

  Nobody today can claim to be invulnerable… There is a multiplicity of risk in both number and type. Financial crisis, corruption, trafficking of drugs, medicines and people, cyber attacks, terrorism or natural and technological disasters, etc. the risks are huge and the planet a playing field without boundaries. The victims are large vitally important operators, critical infrastructure and States. Major risks,whether technological or industrial, natural or of well-being, or of significant threats are numerous and affect every part of the globe. A natural disaster instantly costs hundreds of billions of dollars, implying 10 to 20 years of reconstruction for the communities affected. The magnitude 7 earthquake that hit Haiti in March 2011, for example, in which 230,000 were left dead, 300,000 injured and 1.2 million homeless cost in the order of $ 14 billion, according to a study by the Inter-American Development Bank. Katrina cost nearly $ 150 billion and the latest estimates from the Japanese government on the consequences of the magnitude 9 earthquake that struck the area of Sendai in March 2011 in north-eastern Japan are in the order of $ 350 billion. According to the OECD, the « total cost » of the earthquake, the tsunami and resulting accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant « is not yet known, but the first official estimates put the losses in physical capital at between 3.3% and 5.2% of annual GDP ». This is equivalent to 5 times the cost of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the city of Kobe in January 1995… South-East Asia has experienced other major disasters in recent years, including Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in 2008, which left at least 77,000 dead, 55,000 missing and more than 2.4 million affected, and Typhoon Haiyan (or Yolanda) in the Philippines in 2013 which left more than 7,000 dead and damage amounting to € 10 billion, due to the lack of methods of protection (dykes, permanent refuges and civil security). The Philippines was also hit by Typhoon Hagupit (or Ruby) in December 2014.
  Recently, it was Nepal that was struck by a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.9, followed by several aftershocks.
  Far from being spared, therefore, the Asia-Pacific region seems to be ever more vulnerable to natural and weather-related disasters; in addition to industrial disasters. In the decade 2003 – 2013, about 200 million people per year were affected by natural disasters in this region (tsunami, cyclones, floods, typhoons…).
  According to the 2013 report of the Intergovernmental Climate Change Panel (IPCC), convincing scientific links have been established between rising levels of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity and the growing violence of tropical storms. The area, bordered by seas and oceans, faces substantial climate risk due to the contribution of global warming. A study of the region by the Asian Development Bank(1) considers that the impact of this phenomenon, taking into consideration the risk of disasters occurring, would be 6.7% of GDP annually between now and 2100. This would signify a much greater impact in the region than in the rest of the world where it would amount to 2.2%.

• Rapid urbanisation: one of the main causesWhile being highly vulnerable to natural hazards, coastal areas attract a large population due to the resources they provide. Most large municipalities which form the economic heart of the area and include the major infrastructure are located in this part of the territory. In the Philippines, ten of the country’s most important cities would be under threat by rising sea levels and the risk of natural disasters (earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods, volcanic eruptions). In total, 60% of Philippine cities are at risk. These risks may result in disruption of transportation networks and generally paralyse business activities.
  These collective risks are indeed « the inevitable result of the interdependence of our very urban social models and above all the exceptional population growth that has marked the last two centuries. Furthermore, 70% of the world’s population seeks sustenance, work and prosperity on coastlines, deltas and the surrounding areas. Yet the majority of these coastlines that provide us with our livelihoods are exposed to major risks: earthquakes, typhoons, cyclones, tsunamis, monsoons … and inevitably produce events with regularity of the severity of Fukushima, Katrina or Port au Prince. What is almost surprising is that we do not have them more often when we simply superimpose the seismic and climate risk mappings over the areas of human settlement. Risks to which man is totally helpless, and to which he will one day admit so with a little more humility. He may be able to forecast them, but it will be hard to control them » explains Xavier Guilhou, CEO of XAG Conseil (firm specialising in risk prevention and crisis management) and also (reserve) Navy Captain. Taking into account that human beings will number 9 billion people by 2050, with the rate of urbanisation rising from 40% to 60%, this problem will not go away…

  A region now better prepared than 10 years ago
  Ten years after the December 2004 earthquake in the Indian Ocean that occurred off the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a magnitude of between 9.1 and 9.3 – one of the deadliest in history – which generated a tsunami twenty minutes later of around 30 metres high affecting Indonesia, the coasts of Sri Lanka and southern India, as well as the west of Thailand – the worst tsunami on record – the countries of the region seem better equipped to deal with these tragedies. « However, their preparation can be improved further, » said the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Mr. Hiroyuki Konuma, Assistant Director General of the FAO and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific stated « What we have learned through our Member Countries, and what has been implemented is impressive, is that we can and we must do more to forecast disasters and mitigate their effects. »

  Some of the member countries hardest hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami are now better prepared, both to prevent disasters and to deal with them once they have occurred. However, much remains to be done to further improve disaster resilience « by prioritising the improvement in data distribution on the sectors and livelihoods affected, the risk assessments and monitoring. » the FAO declared.

  Many lessons learned and acted on
  Before the tsunami, countries took measures to respond to crises rather than to prevent them, primarily to save lives rather than safeguard them. Since then, there has been a paradigm shift and preventive measures to reduce the various risks associated with natural disasters are now as important as the mitigation of their effects.
  There are clearly defined early warning systems and evacuation routes in case of a tsunami in certain countries such as Thailand, which after the tsunami established a national Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. « It is clear that many countries in the region are now better equipped to reduce the risk of natural disasters of tsunamis and typhoons, as well as mitigating their effects and protecting their food and agricultural systems, » said Mr. Konuma. « The example of Typhoon Hagupit that hit the Philippines shows that the authorities quickly alerted the population to take preventive measures, and the damages caused by the typhoon were much less severe than those of Typhoon Haiyan that devastated the centre of the country a little earlier. »
  Other ASEAN countries have taken measures to reduce risks of disaster and to mitigate their effects. In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, protective dykes against flooding were built, and an early warning system in case of flooding is in place throughout the country. In 2010, the Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic issued a decree on the national strategy on climate change. Vietnam has passed a law on the prevention and mitigation of natural disasters and in 2007 produced a national strategy for disaster prevention and mitigation of the effects.

  Japan, susceptible to major natural and technological hazards, has developed an ambitious prevention policy in the wake of the Tohoku disaster of 2011, in which the explosion in the Fukushima nuclear plant came as a consequence of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
  The Tohoku disaster was both deadly and costly. In effect it left more than 19,000 dead and missing and has cost Japan $ 210 billion, or 4% of its GDP. However, this disaster was not so “deadly” when compared to other similar disasters that occurred in poorer countries causing over 100,000 deaths, as was the case in Haiti in 2010. However, it is one of the most expensive disasters in history. On the one hand, a developed country can implement risk prevention systems that limit the vulnerability of its popu
  lation and which saves lives. On the other hand however, natural disasters are economically costly as they destroy great quantities of material goods and disrupt economic activity. Japan has established « a sophisticated prevention and early-warning system », including especially a system to warn the population in case of tsunami risk and the construction of earthquake-resistant buildings: there are 2,000 buildings of this type in Japan « versus less than 400 in the rest of the world ». The Japanese population is taught from kindergarten what to do in the case of a natural disaster. The risk prevention system implemented in Japan therefore covers both the education of the population as well as protective measures to prevent the collapse of buildings during earthquakes thanks to the use of anti-seismic standards, measures that allow the organisation of relief in the case of disaster (aid to the injured, search for the missing, relief to those affected, etc.) and finally educational methods that encourage people to buy into the « risk culture ». Policies which must be readjusted after each disaster. « Many examples in Northern Europe, Canada and Asia demonstrate that it is possible to connect with an audience and empower the public. This initially proved useful to the Japanese whose whole disaster response system is based on education and a capacity to inform and mobilise the entire population. Their exemplary attitude when faced with the Sendai tsunami and the explosions of the Fukushima reactors should make us think seriously about our own abilities and aptitudes. » explains Xavier Guilhou. Of course risk prevention, crisis management and business continuity are policies that represent economic expenses and significant investment for poor countries such as Haiti and Nepal, which cannot afford anti-seismic buildings, warning systems and effective aid. Japan, the world’s third largest economy, is able to implement preventive measures that increase its disaster resilience. This topic will be one of the main themes addressed and discussed during the first Asian event dedicated to Homeland and Civil Security to be held in Singapore in October.

  CAE Brunei multi-purpose training centre (MPTC)
  The CAE Brunei Multi-Purpose Training Centre in Brunei Darussalam was established in 2012 as a joint venture between CAE and the Government of Brunei. The development of the integrated training facility for the CAE Brunei MPTC was completed in 2014 and the facility officially started training in September 2014. The CAE Brunei MPTC, located in Rimba, Brunei, near the Brunei International Airport, is a world-class training facility that is staffed and operated by Bruneians. The CAE Brunei MPTC plays a key role in further developing the defence, aviation and emergency/crisis management market segments in Brunei.

  The CAE Brunei MPTC is one of the region’s largest helicopter simulator training facilities. CAE has designed and manufactured one CAE 3000 Series helicopter mission simulators representing the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter. The Sikorsky S-92 helicopter, which is used extensively by offshore oil and gas operators, is currently in operation at the facility. A second CAE 3000 Series helicopter mission simulator representing the S-70i Black Hawk helicopter will be delivered to the facility by late 2015. The CAE Brunei MPTC also offers training for the Pilatus PC-7 trainer aircraft. The PC-7 flight training device (FTD) complements PC-7 pilot training programs by providing a flight simulator that is safe and cost-effective for procedural, familiarization and emergency training. The CAE Brunei MPTC offers comprehensive classroom and simulator instruction for these platforms.

  In addition, the CAE Brunei MPTC has established an Emergency and Crisis Management Centre of Excellence that will provide relevant local authorities such as Brunei’s Ministry of Home Affairs and National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) with comprehensive training designed to better plan and prepare for emergencies. Using simulation-based training, the CAE Brunei MPTC is offering emergncy and crisis management training programs that will help improve coordination, response and operational decision-making during a range of emergency scenarios. The CAE Brunei MPTC will also be offering emergency and crisis management training to the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN).

  The CAE Brunei MPTC plans to offer additional simulation-based training programs in the future based on market demand and requirements, including training solutions specifically for the energy, aerospace, and healthcare market segments as well as other segments of defence such as land and naval training solutions. The CAE Brunei MPTC will serve customers in Brunei and the surrounding Southeast Asia region while helping to grow high-technology, knowledge-based industry in Brunei and provide high-quality jobs for the local economy.

  The solutions in the management of major risks are therefore to be found through the great aspirations of resistance, resilience, governance, accountability of coexistence, new risk philosophy, and a restoration of confidence. “The best positions are those which have managed to master the events and reconstruct destroyed systems with a measured sense of empathy and responsibility at all levels to ‘restore confidence’ of the population. The construction of the responses to the Japanese disaster, which is now the costliest we have seen in terms of claims (excluding World Wars), is in this respect full of lessons to be learned. Everything depends on, and will depend on more and more, a collective sense of a return to trust.” thus concludes Xavier Guilhou.
  A key point that is sure to be addressed by the ensemble of international players scheduled to meet in Singapore in the latter half of the year

• South-East Asia constitutes a major security challenge for France.

• Remarkable economic growth: focus on a flourishing market
  By Business France – Arnaud Dupuis
  Four countries in ASEAN facing different challenges, with needs in every security field
  France market share in ASEAN is about 1.5%, far below expectations. A 2014 report from the French Senate, “Regaining a foothold in South-east Asia”, aims to define a global strategy to reinforce relationships between France and ASEAN. Despite some difficulties (France is not directly a dialogue partner to ASEAN; on the contrary European Union is), the Senate’s commission settled a strategic road map to rebuild France’s position in the region. The first step of this road map was to identify and to evaluate local needs, in order for the commercial policy to be oriented. Security is one the main pillar of this strategy: with issues like natural disasters, civil defense, industrial safety, border and maritime surveillance, ASEAN represents a huge potential for French companies involved in this field.
  To address this large region, four pivotal states have been chosen, according to their strategic and economic potential: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. These four countries concentrate therefore the strategic and commercial efforts of Business France in the region.Indonesia – Huge markets, multiple needs

  Local context and country needs

  With the fourth largest population in the world, Indonesia represents huge potentials in every economic sector, including security.
  Due to its geographical position, the country suffers from natural disasters (tsunami in 2004, multiple volcano’s eruptions and earthquakes). In terms of security, this means multiple needs in various fields: civil defense to assist local population (materials, training), crowd management solutions, prevention and communication tools.
  Even if Bali’s terrorist attacks happened ten years ago, terrorist threats are still present. Indonesian authorities are still looking for materials and trainings to protect the 17 500 islands of the country. Piracy is also an important threat for the archipelago. Therefore, Government of Indonesia allocated 4.2 Bn EUR to the Indonesian National Police in 2013, which will be used to buy equipment such as vehicles, patrol boats, communication equipment, forensic laboratory equipment, detection and identification equipment and antiriot equipment. Other agencies have also seen their budget reinforced to increase their capabilities (Directorate General of Immigration, Directorate General of Tax and Duty, Ministry of Justice, etc.).
  Strategic economic industries, like oil and gas or mines, located in difficult-to-access areas (offshore platforms, rain forest) concentrate important needs in terms of industrial security services and equipment, as well as protection from external threats. Supported by the Government, major infrastructural projects around the country (airports, power plants, ports, railways, MRT, water supply, etc.), offer also lots of opportunities in the security and safety field.
  With the fourth population in the world, and an Internet network always expanding, cyber security will be a huge challenge for Indonesia in the coming years. Social network, e-commerce, needs will be high in terms of private life protection or secured transactions.
  How to address the local market
  Due to the low local production level, security products and services are mainly imported from other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan or China.
  To address the Indonesian security market, at least during the first stages, it is generally recommend using the service of an agent or a distributor.
  Key success factors in purchasing decision on the market are the price, the ability to finance projects, the technical skills of your products and/or staff and the after sale service. Companies targeting the market should be prepared to massively invest in the development of local manpower skills.

  Malaysia – On the way to maturity

  Local context and country needs
  Malaysia is France second commercial partner in ASEAN, and a country approaches by many other powerful states (United States, Japan, United Kingdom, etc.), due to its political stability and clear development plan. France benefits from a very good image in Malaysia, and historically, relations between the two countries have been good, if we do not mention palm oil industry. Actually, just elected in 2009, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak chose France as first foreign country visited.
  In 2013, Malaysian budget for national security was estimated at 1.2 Bn EUR, while the safety and security sector global market is estimated at 1.8 Bn EUR (and rising).
  Malaysia faces several security challenges. At the Thai border, regular terrorist attacks on the both sides, due to difficult minorities’ cohabitation weaken the stability of the region. Even if the country is not directly threatened, international terrorist cells are supposed to be based in Malaysia (Jemaah Islamiah or the Islamic State). Parliament is currently debating the need of a new anti-terrorism legislation, involving new needs in terms of materials and services.
  Basically, needs of the Malaysian market are divided as follow:

  • Public sector: equipment for internal security, cybersecurity, video surveillance systems, coast surveillance systems, patrol boats,
  • Private sector: regarding the private consumption, demands are concerning mostly cybersecurity (smartphone security, safe online transactions, etc.) and sites protection, whether industrial or residential.

  How to address the local market
  Main competitors for French companies in Malaysia are foreign entities, coming mostly from the United States, Germany, China and Taiwan. Price is certainly an important factor in the customer decision process; however, a recent trend gives more opportunities to high quality solutions, independently to prices.
  To address public markets (Government, national energy companies, airports, ports railway, etc.), it is imperative to have a local representative, in charge of opportunity detection and follow-up, contact identification and contract building. Private markets are easier to penetrate, an agent or a reseller is generally sufficient.

  Singapore – A mature market needing high valuable solutions
  Local context and country needs
  Security is one the three pillars on which the city is based, as well as efficiency and connectivity: Singapore is ranked second at the Economist Intelligence Unit Safe City Index 2015 (only Tokyo is ahead of the city-state) and safest city in the world. To reach this objective, Singapore gives 7.5 Bn EUR each year on its annual budget to security and defense programs (approx. 4% of its GDP).
  Regional headquarters of banks, trading companies or leading multinationals, Singapore could be highly exposed to cyber criminality. Therefore, local authorities develop programs to become a regional hub in terms of cyber security expertise. According to Mr Gian, director of the “Safety & Security Industry Programme Office” (SSIPO, Ministry of Trade and Industry), the cyber security market is going to rise from 43 Bn EUR in 2011 to 80 Bn in 2017 in Singapore.
  Apart from cyber security, Singapore aims to keep its position as a world leader in the security field. The market is moving towards smart security solutions. High end biometric security systems, premium police equipment and Intelligent CCTV monitoring systems are actively sought by local Government and companies.

  How to address the local market
  Singapore is an open market and almost every major player in the security business is present there. Finding a representative in the country is not difficult, and business climate is considered as the best in the world according to the “Doing Business” ranking from the World Bank (in 2015).

  Vietnam – Concentrating efforts on emergency situation and civil defense

  Local context and country needs
  The two main high potential sectors in Vietnam are the civil defense and emergency situation. Vietnam faces regularly typhoons and floods and has urgent needs in terms of materials to face these situations, as well as training to its different services. Moreover, the fast growing industrial complex is willing to benefit from expertise in industrial safety.

  How to address the local market
  Most of security equipment is currently imported in Vietnam, due to a lack of local production. Origin countries of this equipment are China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea or Israel.
  One of the key to address Vietnamese markets in general, and specifically security markets, is to find the relevant representative to detect opportunities, evaluate specific needs and ensure relations with local administration.

  Philippines and Thailand, quick overview on two potential target markets

  Regularly facing natural disasters, Philippines are also looking to solutions to face emergency situations. Some terrorist’s activities in the South of the country force local authorities to keep on the alert and to modernize police equipment. Finally, infrastructure quick development creates needs to protect them. The Thai defense expenditure is expected to increase as a percentage of GDP from 1.5% in 2011 to 1.8% in 2016. The above plans are for ensuring Thailand’s ability in coping with national security threats, including maintaining internal security, fighting terrorist and separatist groups, resolving border area disputes, and disaster recovery, all of which have become more prevalent in recent years.
  Every field of the security industry is considered as highly attractive in ASEAN. Due to geographic position and various maturity levels, some countries can be identified as more relevant for a particular industry than another, as shown in the table below.

  As the French Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Laurent Fabius said, speaking at ASEAN’s headquarter in August 2013: « France, too, has undertaken a « pivot ». Not to blindly follow the crowd, but because France wants to have a presence where tomorrow’s world is being built. The Asia-Pacific region will clearly be central to the 21st century. » And to be central, security issues have to be tackled.

  Business France – Committed to French security companies
  Aware of commercial challenges of security markets, Business France, the government agency supporting the international development of the French economy, accompanies several French SMEs in this sector every year. Either through French Pavilion on trade shows, gathering several companies, or individually in a specific country, around 50 companies in the security field benefit every year from Business France services.
  The CoFIS (Comité de la Filière Industrielle de Sécurité) aims to bring all the stakeholders of the security industry together with a double objective: provide the security agencies and operators of essential infrastructure with reliable, value for money and tailor-made technologies and consolidate the French security technological base and enhance French security industries competiveness. Key point of the Comity roadmap is to promote overseas French expertise and technologies. Fully integrated to the Comity, Business France suggests international policy guidelines, proposes and implements concrete international operations for French SMEs.
  Moreover, Business France cooperates closely with the French security associations, such as GICAT (French Land and Defense Security Industry Association), GICAN (French Marine Industry Group), GIFAS (French Aerospace Industries Association) and clusters (EDEN, etc.).

• The fight against terrorism & border security
  Despite the diversity of economic, political, religious and cultural backgrounds in the countries of South East Asia, the security issues are identical. T

• errorism, cybercrime, human trafficking, pharmaceutical crime, counterfeiting of security documents and money, and smuggling are all on the list of threats to be combated. These were all included in the programme of the 22nd INTERPOL Asian Regional Conference, held last April in Singapore in parallel with the inauguration of the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation, a gathering of more than 160 senior Asia and South Pacific police officials that ended with the adoption of a series of measures to strengthen regional action against transnational crime.
  Several recommendations also called for support for the efforts of INTERPOL member countries in Asia in the fight against cybercrime, the strengthening of police cooperation and action against foreign terrorist fighters, and an increase in the use of tools and global INTERPOL services in Asia, including its fingerprint, DNA profiles and firearms databases.

• Terrorism: a threat far from under control
  The problem of terrorism linked to armed separatist groups concerns the entire region. These groups, such as the Islamist Front in Indonesia, are characterised by their use of terrorist guerrilla methods. “It is clear that despite the progress made, terrorism is clearly not a ‘controlled threat’ in South-East Asia. The anti-terrorism measures suffer persistent intelligence failures and difficulties in adapting to the constant evolution of the operational modes of these groups. In addition, today and since the Mumbai attacks in 2009, there has been a clear change of terrorist organisations in the area” says Senia Febrica, PhD Researcher, Department of Politics, University of Glasgow. Located in part of the Malacca Strait, a key transit for world maritime trade, Indonesia is of particular importance in the issue of transnational terrorism. With the establishment of American cooperation some improvement can be observed. The common interest in the fight against terrorism is manifested in particular through American aid in the establishment of anti-terrorism forces, and the reinforcement of intelligence capabilities or the organisation of CTX (Counter-Terrorism Exercise) conducted within the ADMM+ framework. Furthermore, the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist organisation, responsible for the Bali bombings, was partially dismantled following the arrest or elimination of the organisation’s principal leaders. Its spiritual leader, Abu Bakr Bashir, was arrested in August 2010 and sentenced to 15 years in prison in June 2011. There is nevertheless a latent terrorist threat, as shown by the arrest of former members of an organisation called “Hasmi” on the island of Java late October 2012. A new anti-terrorism coordinating agency was created in June 2010. The shift from a political Islam towards a combatant Islam is a subject of real regional concern, particularly to Singapore and Australia, with especially strong links to the Middle East. In a region with porous borders and busy shipping lanes, it is necessary to consider that the progress made by each country in terms of security has a positive impact for all countries in the region and even on global stability.
  According to Senia Febrica, significant mutual benefits could also be derived from better cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia or Malaysia, going beyond occasional collaboration after an attack. “Indonesia should look to the model and techniques employed by Singapore, above all with respect to surveillance of information on the internet, monitoring prisoners and taking decisive action against individuals.”

  Improve and increase exchanges
  “History and experience clearly show that the exchange of information is essential in combating all forms of crime, but we are still far from the domain of anti-terrorism, and this must change”, warned Jean-Michel Louboutin, Executive Director of INTERPOL’s Police Services, who went on to say “Countries must ensure that their front-line officers, particularly at the borders where the criminals are at their most vulnerable, have access to INTERPOL tools and databases, which contain critical and potentially decisive police information for the identification of fugitives and terrorists seeking to evade the authorities” while talking about the operations and training coordinated by INTERPOL to assist countries in the establishment of sustainable strategies to protect their borders against terrorism and transnational crime.
  “INTERPOL assists the world community of law enforcement services responsible for dismantling criminal and terrorist networks through the use of its operational support, its global databases, its criminal intelligence resources, and through training and technical expertise” stated INTERPOL’s Vice President for Asia, Mr. Nobuyuki Kawai.

  Regional cooperation exercises
  In 2014, during the Hawk and Dove operations attended by police, immigration, customs and border protection officials, over 400,000 checks were made in the INTERPOL databases on wanted persons, stolen and lost travel documents and stolen vehicles.
  Operation Hawk, conducted throughout South-East Asia, also resulted in the seizure of over 70 kg of sodium chlorate, a chemical precursor used in the manufacture of home-made bombs. Several other exercises promote the continuation, expansion and improvement of this regional cooperation.
  In 2014, the INTERPOL Counter-terrorism Investigative Skills Training courses were held in Cebu in the Philippines (26 – 31 October), and Bali, Indonesia (1 – 6 December) with training participants from nine countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. It has been held in Asia to support law enforcement in their counter-terrorism efforts across the region. the training provided an overview of INTERPOL’s forensic tools and services available to support counter-terrorism initiatives, including Notices, Facial Recognition and the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System.
  During the Cebu-based course, participants also had a practical demonstration on the effectiveness of different types of explosives being used by terrorists, including commercial, military and handmade.
  Input was provided by experts from the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Manila, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), as well as from a number of specialized INTERPOL units including Chemical and Explosives Terrorism Prevention, Forensics and the Border Management Task Force.
  The second session in Bali focused on best practice in intelligence-gathering, with participants sharing information about their countries’ responses to emerging terrorism threats and trends, in particular on the movement of suspected foreign fighters from Southeast Asia. The INTERPOL Chemical Anti–Smuggling Enforcement (CHASE) Programme targeting Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines with support from Australia was also held in Bali (1 – 5 December) in parallel with the counter-terrorism training.
  Quelques mois plus tard, ce sera au Brunei d’accueillir une autre session de formation. Since its launch in August 2014, more than 100 officers have been trained as part of INTERPOL’s Capacity Building Programme on Improving Counter-Terrorism Investigation and International Collaboration in ASEAN member countries. Key areas covered during the course included the latest developments to INTERPOL’s secure global police communications system and encouraging its increased use for searching, adding and integrating information into INTERPOL’s nominal databases, to assist frontline officers at border checkpoints and general investigations.
  The training also incorporated a two-day meeting for high-level delegates, including heads of NCBs and immigration, to discuss future projects on strengthening border management and strategies to boost international cooperation in combating terrorism.

  There are also many concrete initiatives that contribute directly to the strengthening of cooperation for enhanced regional security. Recently, Jürgen Stock, INTERPOL Secretary General, said that countries must “share even more information, and share it even better. Increased pressure to restrict foreign terrorist fighter mobility is already producing changes in tactics” said Secretary General Stock, adding that INTERPOL projects ‘broken travel’ – where individuals move between several countries in non-consecutive legs before reaching their final destination – to become a more frequent feature, with autonomous movements being gradually abandoned in favour of routing channels.
  “The ease, speed and reach of the foreign terrorist fighters converging onto Syria and Iraq showed the threat was unprecedented almost from the outset” Mr. Stock declared. “Withholding information within any region simply puts the rest of the world at risk. Intelligence is crossing borders, but at a much slower pace than foreign terrorist fighters,” added the Secretary General. The Security Council also called on the international community to strengthen INTERPOL’s capabilities and to develop capacity building assistance to facilitate broader use of its secure communications network and increased reporting to the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database.

• Maritime piracy at the forefront of the international security goals

  Maritime security: A crucial issue
  Indonesia promotes both national and international maritime security by organising joint operations, numerous bilateral and multilateral exercises, holding seminars in Jakarta on the subject of maritime security, and by calling for more active collaboration in this area and a peaceful settlement of disputes. In line with the Indonesian foreign policy, the Indonesian Navy plays a mediating role in the South China Sea disputes. It is also used to enhance cooperation between the navies of the ASEAN member countries and with the Chinese navy, which is receptive to contributing to the peace efforts in the South China Sea. The largest naval exercise after RIMPAC and KOMODO which took place in early 2014, organised by Indonesia, assembled the navies of the ASEAN countries (Riau Archipelago area), as well as observers, including an officer of the French navy, an IFC (Information Fusion Centre) liaison officer from Singapore. The training objective was the common management of natural disasters, including evacuation of population. Indonesia proposed the concept of civil-military cooperation, which was approved by ASEAN.
  Member of the “Tri-border initiative,” Indonesia is also involved in surveillance activities and maritime operations in the Makassar Strait to fight against piracy.The underside of sea piracy
  Modern maritime piracy targets not only commercial and fishing vessels but also pleasure craft. It generally involves violent acts led by pirates who do not hesitate to use assault rifles or lance-rockets and exert pressure on the ship’s crew to get what they want. Though this is far from being a new phenomenon, it now calls for new forms of response in order to strengthen the efficiency of the current methods. Through international cooperation and innovative thinking, solutions are now being brought to the fore.Piracy is not a new phenomenon. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of attacks on vessels by pirates, in particular in the Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin, the Indian Ocean and Asia. Vast areas of waters are affected making it a challenge to prevent maritime piracy incidents. Millions of dollars in ransom payments are paid to pirates. It is believed that these payments are divided between the pirates, their leaders and those who finance them. For example, intelligence indicates that part of the “african” maritime piracy money is reinvested abroad through Somali emigrants. Tracing the financial flows of ransom money is one of the main challenges faced by law enforcement agencies.

  Asia is the object of great envy
  Maritime piracy has waned throughout the world over the last few years, but the seas of Southeast Asia have become a new hotspot, according to the International Maritime Office (IMO), especially in the region of the Malacca Straits, the strategic corridor between Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. One third of the world’s trade transits through this corridor. “The global increase in hijacking is due to the increase in attacks against oil tankers navigating offshore in Southeast Asia,” said Imo director Pottengal MUKUDAN. The incidents reported in the South China Sea are falling in numbers but are nevertheless becoming of greater concern. The terrorist group Abbu Sayyaf operates in the Sulu, Jolo and Tawi-Tawi archpelagos as well out of Basilan Island, and is active in the Sulu and Celebes seas, on the south coasts of Palawans and in the west of Mindanao to the coasts of Sabah in Malaysia. The regions islands have been the scene of kidnappings on the part of Filipino terrorist groups or Malaysian criminal groups that may associate with them.
  Asia is also an Eldorado for French industrialists. Jean-Marie Carnet, general delegate for the GICAN, explained last year at a trade fair in Malaysia that “where the seas are concerned, the most important consideration of the maritime issue by the States has a significant leverage effect for the countries that export specific equipment. This market is especially active in the ASEAN zone where the nations involved are obtaining more and more equipment to be able to exercise their sovereign rights on their EEZ. This Asian dynamism causes the entire shipping industry to grow, thus the importance for our French industrialists to be present in Malaysia, at the heart of this dynamic market.”

  INTERPOL Basic Training on Maritime Security held in Malaysia
  KUANTAN, Malaysia – The first in a series of INTERPOL training programmes to assist member countries build capacity in maritime piracy and armed robbery investigations has been held in Malaysia. The INTERPOL Basic Training on Maritime Security course held at the AMSAS (Akademi Maritim Sultan Ahmad Shah) Training Academy in Kuantan, brought together officers from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Marine Operations Force, Royal Malaysian Police, the National Central Bureau in Kuala Lumpur, Royal Malaysian Navy, Marine and Immigration departments. During the five-day (26 – 30 January) course, INTERPOL officials and experts from national prosecution offices, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combatting Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia (ReCAAP) provided training on a range of maritime security issues including legal frameworks, border management and INTERPOL’s tools and services. The training is part of the INTERPOL Capacity Building Programme to Foster Maritime Security in Malaysia funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs Trade and Development (DFATD) Canada. Jointly coordinated by the INTERPOL Capacity Building and Training and Counter-Terrorism, Public Safety and Maritime Security units, one of the programme’s aims is to increase investigative resources, specialized forensic capabilities and information-sharing amongst national law enforcement agencies.

  FOCUS – Indonesia’s Maritime Security: Ongoing Problems and Strategic Implications
  Indonesia faces many problems in maintaining and providing security in its sea territory. Indonesia seeks for international assistance in the provision of aid, equipment and trainings, or in organising and coordinating cooperative efforts and linkages with other interested parties. The states in the region, including Indonesia, appreciate cooperation with extra-regional states. However, the direct involvement of an external actor in establishing cooperation is not desired, but the idea of closer cooperation and the components needed to create such cooperation on a security issue are there to be adopted and implemented. Indonesia and Southeast Asia welcomes external assistance, particularly in the framework of financial and technical assistance, as long as such assistance is neutral, limited, and non-military. But challenges remain. In fact, more challenges are to come, along with the trend of ever increasing transnational crime. Structural, normative, and economic changes to the regional system facilitate greater maritime security cooperation. Given the strengthening of regional cooperation norms, higher priority is to be given to maritime security, and the need to press for enhanced maritime security cooperation. Strengthening regional maritime security cooperation, both bilateral and multilateral, should remain in the agenda.

  FOCUS – Indonesia takes an enlightened approach to maritime security
  More countries around the world should strengthen their approach to maritime security and follow in the steps of Indonesia, who in last December launched a new coastguard service says leading maritime security company MAST.
  “Indonesia and its President Joko Widodo have rightly recognized that maritime crime, including piracy and smuggling, can be hugely disruptive of commerce and wealth generation” said Phil Cable, Chief Executive Officer at MAST (Maritime Asset Security and Training Ltd).The development of the coastguard is part of President Widodo’s push to reassure investors that Indonesia is taking maritime security seriously. Before he was elected, he stressed Indonesia’s strategic position on the world’s maritime axis and her potential as a regional maritime hub. A statement he made recognised Indonesia as the world’s largest archipelago and linked the country’s future development and prosperity with making sure that the surrounding shipping lanes are secure. He has followed this up with the announcement of the new coastguard service. Cable said “Responsible governments, like the Indonesians, are taking their responsibilities under UNCLOS (The United Nations Convention on the Law of the sea) increasingly seriously because they recognise that national wealth is intrinsically linked to good management of their Territorial Waters (TTW) and Economic Zones. It is becoming increasingly apparent to all governmental actors that meeting UNCLOS obligations and being able to protect and develop TTW and Economic Zones is a complex and expensive business. It is one thing to declare ownership of TTW and an Economic Zone. It is quite another to be able to exploit and protect the economic resources and wealth contained in and derived from the maritime sector.” Gerry Northwood OBE, Chief Operating Officer at MAST, said “We now have a situation where the most far sighted countries are investing in maritime security as a means to underpin national wealth and economic development. The challenge they are facing is that maritime infrastructure is expensive and there is a relatively long lead time to put in place resources. Early upfront investment is required and this is what the Indonesians are doing through creating a more capable maritime police force. Sailors are not like soldiers. They cannot be trained in a heartbeat. Sailors and maritime police have to become competent in the marine environment before they can actually start to provide value as law enforcement officers. The same principle applies to personnel involved in environmental protection. We must also not forget that maritime operations are very often served by air operations. The ability to coordinate and link the two, means that vast swathes of ocean and littoral can be more efficiently monitored.” Northwood added “The fact that the Indonesians are taking this seriously means that they have recognized the importance of their ‘Maritime Flank’ -in their case, it is actually all round them-, and the realities of their geography, to the future wealth of their nation and the well being of their people. To secure and exploit this, whether it is port security, port operations, lights and buoyage, fishery protection, offshore protection, routine policing, it is all about sustainable training programmes.”

  The Maritime Security Market is estimated to grow from $13.94 Billion in 2014 to $20.87 Billion in 2019. This represents a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.4% from 2014 to 2019. MarketsandMarkets has segmented the maritime security market by type of technologies and systems: screening and scanning, access control, detectors, Geographic Information System (GIS), surveillance and tracking, weather monitoring, smart containers, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), communication, and others; by type of services:training, risk assessment and investigation, maintenance and support, consulting, and others; by categories:port and critical infrastructure security, vessel security, and coastal surveillance; and by regions: North America (NA), Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe (EU), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America (LA). The major forces driving this market are awareness of maritime security, maritime threats, regulations and standards, and international trade by sea.The significance of the maritime security has increased, due to globalization.Also, the increase in maritime threat in some regions of the world has been noted as one of the major factors affecting international trade. The companies in this industry must take advantage of the growing awareness of maritime security in markets such as Middle East and Africa (MEA) as well as Asia-Pacific (APAC). The surveillance and tracking systems and solutions, smart container systems as well as scanning and screening systems have a high growth rate in the market.