“On the sidelines of the HACGAM, the 12th annual bilateral meeting between ICG and the Korea Coast Guard was also held on September 04, 2024, under the provisions of the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) signed between the two agencies in March 2006. The meeting focused on augmenting operational-level interaction and capacity building in the areas of maritime search & rescue, pollution response and law enforcement.”, ICG added.HACGAM primarily focuses on fostering cooperation between the Coast Guards of the member Asian states to ensure and promote safe, secure & clean seas in the region. It is an independent forum with 23 member Coast Guard Agencies and also two associate members in the form of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It comprises four Working Groups to enable a focused and goal-oriented approach towards coordinated response & synergy towards common maritime issues.ICG is the chair of Search and Rescue Working Group and a proactive member of the other Working Groups which include Environmental Protection, Controlling Unlawful Acts at Sea and Information sharing.As the Central Coordinating Agency for marine oil spill responses at the national level, the ICG is dedicated to supporting regional countries in building their capabilities for effective pollution management.The Indian Coast Guard came into being in February 1977 with a fleet strength of just seven ships for surveillance in the Indian waters and 2.01 million square kilometres of Exclusive Economic Zone. At present, it comprises 184 surface ships. The Indian Coast Guard is India’s auxiliary service for Maritime Law Enforcement, undertaking ‘safety and protection’ tasks in Indian waters.
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