Presentation of YARIS to partners and upcoming activities for 2021
Since the beginning of January, the GoGIN team has been entirely focused on the training activities on the YARIS platform for the maritime centres in the Gulf of Guinea, organising remote introductory training sessions on the use of the system. In February, the team held the first in-person advanced YARIS training in Ghana for the operational teams of the national operation centres and the Maritime Multinational Coordination Centre (MMCC) Zone F. At the end of March, similar activities took place also in Cameroon and in Gabon. In coordination with these activities, the GoGIN team also conducted training on YARIS IT management for the IT administrators of the different centres, as well as to the new IT administrators at regional level.
Despite the advancement of the project, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting GoGIN, leading to a series of modifications in the workplan. Nevertheless, the current objective of the team is to train as many centres as possible before the beginning of the summer, reassuring our partners that the European Union is discussing a 12-month extension of the projects. The first feedback from our counterparts in the field are extremely positive and it is fundamental to establish a tailored coaching programme for all the centres’ staff.
In the upcoming months, this tailored support programme will continue in Benin, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal and Sao Tome and Principe, with the support of a mixed pool of trainers (GoGIN and YA centres). At the end of the programme, staff of the trained centres will be able to use the YARIS platform to ensure better maritime surveillance, operational and/or institutional information sharing as well as effective coordination of operations when necessary.
Finally, it is worth highlighting that discussions between EU and regional institutions for the transfer of ownership of the YARIS platform are currently ongoing, with progresses reported in West Africa.
Other activities
YARIS advanced training After the basic training organised remotely in January, the GoGIN training team travelled to Ghana to give the first sessions of advanced training on YARIS. From 15 to 26 February, the MMCC Zone F was trained in operating YARIS READ MORE. Following this training session, staff of the different national maritime operation centres (MOC) received the advanced training from 1 to 12 March. Three other sessions took place in Gabon and Cameroon (national centrs and MMCC Zone D) READ MORE. These sessions offered also the opportunity of discussing the organisation of operations at sea so to integrate the YARIS tool in the best way possible in the sharing and decision-making processes of the centres. At the same time, the training are also an opportunity to introduce the platform to the different administrations and agencies involved in the State’s action at sea to stress the importance of inter-agency coordination .
Presentation of YARIS to external partners The YARIS platform continues to raise a lot of interest around the external partners that cooperate with the countries in the Gulf of Guinea. The GoGIN team continues taking part in the MDA working group of the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea (G7++ FoGG). The last session took place on 16 March, during which the team discussed the use of the YARIS platform. YARIS was also presented during the webinar “Improving Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea” organised by NATO Southern Hub on 17 February and at the “Coordination Meeting – International Maritime Partners in the Gulf of Guinea”, called by CRIMSON on 17 and 18 March. The platform was also discussed with the Brest MICA Centre on 22 January. Following the meeting, the team had the possibility to further discuss with MDAT-GoG Cooperation Centre, a joint initiative of the MICA Centre and UKMTO (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations of the Royal Navy) that aims to monitor the maritime situation in the GoG to inform and support the maritime industry. The GoGIN team and the MDAT-GoG staff met and conferred over the functionalities of YARIS and its potential role in information exchange with private partners of MDAT-GoG
January – March Agenda The agenda will be modified as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves.
25-29 January: initiation to YARIS (basic level session) – distant learning
February: advanced training on YARIS to the centres located in Ghana (MOC and MMCC)
March: advanced training on YARIS to the centres located in Gabon and Cameroon
March 2021 : Obangame Express exercise
