Indian Ocean Commission - The 27th session of the council of ministers of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) rounded off in Flic en Flac, Mauritius, on Thursday, with important decisions on several issues. The five-island commission is to collaborate with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on the protracted political crisis in a member country, Madagascar.

On piracy, which threatens the mainstay of the region's economy, fishing and tourism, the council decided to set up an anti-piracy unit under the supervision of the Commission's secretary-general.

The unit will include experts sent by the commission's member countries.

This is a major step in the implementation of the regional strategy and action plan for the Southern and Eastern Africa-Indian Ocean (AfOA-OI) region, adopted in October last year through the regional maritime security programme, MASE.

In the meantime, the council has directed its chairman to get an observer status for the commission at the African Union.

Pana 08/10/2011