19th Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting (HACGAM) was attended by Indian Coast Guard that took place from 05-08 Sep 2023 in Istanbul, Türkiye.
A four-member ICG delegation led by DG Rakesh Pal, Director General Indian Coast Guard took part in the annual event of the independent forum with 23 members of Coast Guard Agencies and 02 associate members in the form of ReCAAP and UNODC.
During the three-day meet, a series of vital issues including maritime law enforcement, safety and security of life at sea, marine environment protection, illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons, and humans at sea etc were discussed.
The forum resolved to further bolster the maritime cooperation among the Asian Coast Guards.
The HACGAM is an annual event hosted by one of its member nations on a rotational basis. In 2022, the 18th edition of the meeting was hosted by the ICG in New Delhi.
The forum comprises four Working Groups to enable a focused and goal-oriented approach towards coordinated response and synergy towards common maritime issues. Indian Coast Guard is the chair of the Search and Rescue (SAR) Working Group and a proactive member of the other Working Groups which include environmental Protection, Controlling Unlawful Acts at Sea, and Information sharing.