New Delhi: A two-day working level meeting of 18th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) was hosted by Indian Coast Guard on August 2-3.

The meetings are an annual affair and hosted by one of the members in rotation. ICG last hosted 8th HACGAM in 2012. HACGAM is an independent organisation with 23 member Coast Guard Agencies and two associate members in the form of ReCAAP and UNODC.

This forum is an off shoot of the Japanese initiative to promote cooperation amongst regional Coast Guards, after the capture of the pirated vessel MV Alondra Rainbow by the Indian Coast Guard in  November 1999.

Consequently, the very first HACGAM was conducted at Tokyo, Japan in June 2004. HACGAM primarily focuses on fostering cooperation between Coast Guards of the member Asian states to ensure and promote safe, secure and clean seas in the region.

HACGAM comprises of four Working Groups to enable focused and goal oriented approach towards coordinated response and synergy towards common maritime issues. Indian Coast Guard is the chair of Search and Rescue Working Group. Other Working Groups include Environmental Protection, Controlling Unlawful Acts at Sea and Capacity Building.

During the Working Level Meeting various issues of significance such as maritime law enforcement, safety and security of life at sea, marine environment protection, illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons and humans at sea were discussed and avenues for further cooperation explored through framing of agenda for the High Level Meeting which will be conducted at New Delhi in later part of 2022 in which heads of Coast Guards of all member nations will participate.