Indian maritime veteran named new ReCAAP ISC Executive Director

By Geoffrey Latayan

The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC) has appointed Indian maritime veteran Vijay D. Chafekar as its new executive director.

Chafekar succeeds Krishnaswamy Natarajan, who completed his three-year term as the ReCAAP ISC chief on March 31. 

He becomes the organisation’s seventh executive director, with his three-year tenure taking effect from April 1 and set to conclude on March 31, 2028.

An experienced coast guard leader

The retired Additional Director-General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) brings with him 37 years of experience in the maritime sector, which includes senior roles in coast guard operations across maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and transnational crime prevention.

Chafekar, who has represented the ICG in multiple national and international fora on maritime security and disaster response, has substantial experience in maritime policy-making, organisational development, and law enforcement. 

He was selected for the role on November 5 last year by the ReCAAP ISC Governing Council, which comprises representatives from ReCAAP’s 21 member states.

In his speech, Chafekar reminded member-states about the regional group’s role in minimising piracy and other criminal incidents at sea in Asian waters.

He asked officials to consistently build on effective measures in order to address piracy and armed robbery cases in the region.

“ReCAAP ISC has come a long way in helping to curtail piracy and sea robbery incidents in Asia by enabling effective responses through information sharing, capacity building, and co-operative arrangements,” he said.

“We need to sustain the momentum, so that the threat of piracy and armed robbery to merchant shipping and maritime trade can be contained,” he added.

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Agency seeks to deter piracy and armed robbery in Asia

Singapore-based ReCAAP is a regional government-to-government initiative to promote and enhance co-operation against piracy and armed robbery of ships in Asia. 

21 countries have ratified the ReCAAP agreement: Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, and United States.

The ReCAAP ISC is an initiative for facilitating the dissemination of piracy-related information.

Its periodic reports assist the maritime community by sharing detailed information on incidents, such as locations, modus operandi, and good practices, to boost awareness on the risks of piracy and armed robbery and strengthen safety measures.

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