The seas of Micronesia

Over four-days in July, a summit was held in Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, between the presidents of the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Micronesia. In addition to expressing their appreciation for the Sasakawa Peace Foundation’s support toward establishing a collective coast guard for the three nations, the leaders also announced a joint communiqué calling for a conference among concerned organizations and nations, including both the United States and Australia. The conference is expected to be held before the end of this year to discuss future action plans--a major step toward establishing a regional coast guard. Attending the summit were President Litokwa Tomeing of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, President Johnson Toribiong of the Republic of Palau, and President Emanuel Mori of the Federated States of Micronesia.

Summit between three Micronesian nations

In addition to the three Micronesian nations, representatives from the United States Coast Guard, the Royal Australian Navy, the Japan Coast Guard, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and the Nippon Foundation are expected to attend the conference to discuss the specifics of coast-guard operations and support tasks. The US Coast Guard and Australian Navy have both provided coast-guard support in the Micronesian region.

The exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the three nations spans some 6 million square kilometers, making it the third largest in the world after those of the United States and Australia. Coast-guard duties in the EEZ range widely, from securing fishing resources and cracking down on smuggling, to ensuring tourist safety, guarding borders, and environmental protection. The three nations currently field a total of 140 coast-guard personnel. However, their effectiveness has been limited by inadequate communication systems and the massive area that they must cover.

International conference center where the summit was held

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation plans to focus its aid on human-resource development and facility-improvement. Conference themes are expected to include the establishment of a coordinating body to control the multi-nation coast guard, human-resource development efforts, and improvements in telecommunications. Actual activities are expected to get underway during fiscal 2011.

The United States and Australia have a keen interest in the region, in light of increased activity by the Chinese navy. Further, the area presents an alternate trade route, bypassing the Taiwan Strait and the Strait of Malacca. Although currently occupied with duties in other parts of the world, the Japan Coast Guard has expressed its support for the concept and indicated it would cooperate to the fullest extent possible.