Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi has attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new building of Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) in Villimale’.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Defence Mariya Ahmed Didi remarked that the Maldives is a country beset by a number of maritime criminal activities such as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, piracy, human trafficking and narcotic smuggling. The minister also noted the Maldives is at great risk of environmental disasters such as oil spills, and highlighted the importance for countries dependent on their maritime economy such as the Maldives to have a viable maritime emergency response. She pointed out that the new building at MRCC will serve as an important step in further developing the maritime forces. She also thanked the Japanese government and its people for their numerous donations, and mentioned that Japan has always been a very friendly country to the Maldives, and one that has greatly aided the Maldives in combating maritime related problems.
Also at the ceremony, Commandant of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Coast Guard Colonel Ibrahim Hilmy went over some of MRCC’s international obligations as well as some of its history. He mentioned how it was originally established as the Global Maritime Distress and Safety Systems Centre in 2003 before it was reworked as the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in 2012. He also remarked that the new building at MRCC will allow for further development, and provide opportunity for further training programs with UNODC in the future.
The project to construct the new building at MRCC is funded by the Government of Japan and is being undertaken through the cooperation of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project aims to further enhance and strengthen the search and rescue capabilities in the Maldives. The new MRCC building will have various facilities such as operations rooms, training facilities, and an auditorium. The building is being designed to contain facilities that will allow the Coast Guard to host programmes tailored towards search and rescue training as well as other maritime law enforcement trainings.