The United Nations Security Council Tuesday adopted a resolution urging member states to criminalize piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea under domestic laws.

The Gulf of Guinea is a global hotspot for piracy. In an attempt to combat crime, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 2634 which calls member states in the Gulf of Guinea region, at both national and regional levels, “to investigate, prosecute or extradite, in accordance with applicable international law, perpetrators of such crimes, as well as those who incite, finance or intentionally facilitate them.”

The UN Security Council identified the importance for “national maritime security strategies be developed and implemented.” A harmonized legal framework is essential to prevent and suppress piracy and armed robbery at sea, in addition to the “prosecution of persons engaging in those crimes and punishment of those convicted.”

According to the International Chamber of Commerce’s Piracy Reporting Centre, nine Gulf of Guinea piracy incidents have been reported thus far in 2022, including one armed hijacking off the coast of Cote d’Ivoir.