SHADE MED fifth edition in Rome
On the 23rd and 24th November 2017 the 5th edition of Shared Awareness and De-confliction for the Mediterranean Sea (SHADE MED) was held in Rome at the Francesco Baracca airbase.
SHADE MED is a forum where representatives from nations and organizations interested in or impacted by the migratory phenomenon in the Southern Central Mediterranean can meet to discuss and share knowledge and de-conflict to coordinate their activities.
Its primary goal is to provide a mechanism aimed at de-conflicting and where possible coordinating military and civilian resources, military and civilian operations and industry practices to achieve the maximum efficiency and effectiveness in managing objectives related to the migratory phenomenon in the Mediterranean.
This edition gathered an outstanding participation: 156 attendees, from 32 countries and 94 organizations (including 7 NGO´s) were involved in this second SHADE MED event of 2017.
The Chairmanship of the event is rotational and this edition is chaired by the Italian Navy.
The first day was opened by Rear (UH) Admiral Enrico Credendino, operation SOPHIA Commander, and Rear Admiral (UH) Pier Federico Bisconti, Head of Plans, Operations and Maritime Strategy Department at the Italian Navy General staff.
Moreover, key note speeches focusing on the need for effective cooperation, in particular between law enforcement agencies and the military, were delivered by representatives of the International Center of Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM), European Union’s Judicial Cooperation Unit (EUROJUST), Direzione Nazionale Antimafia (DNA), European Police Agency (EUROPOL) and The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), followed by operational updates from Operation Sophia, Italian Navy, NATO, the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (I.M.R.C.C.) and the European Border and Coastguard Agency Frontex.
The plenary session was followed by working group panels divided into six different thematic (information exchange in the Mediterranean, smuggling business model, communication systems and information exchange, training Libyan Navy and Coastguard, migration and SOLAS and capacity building and legal aspects) where experiences, emerging trends and best practices were discussed.
