Prime Minister Gaston Browne to Open Global Maritime Security and Sanctions Enforcement Symposium

Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Gaston Browne will deliver the opening address at the Second Annual Global Maritime Security and Sanctions EnforcementSymposium on Monday, 13 July, at the St. James’s Club, where international maritime leaders, government officials and industry experts will convene to strengthen global cooperation in combating illicit maritime activities and enhancing sanctions enforcement.

The three-day Symposium is being jointly hosted by the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping (ADOMS)and the United States Department of State, with support from Sandia National Laboratories. 

Approximately 100 participants from around the world are expected to attend, including representatives of ship registries, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Registry Information Sharing Compact (RISC), the Global Centre for Maritime Sanctions Monitoring (GCMSM), the Maritime UN Sanctions Enforcement (MUSE) initiative and other international maritime organizations and enforcement agencies.

As Minister responsible for Merchant Shipping and Ports, Prime Minister Browne is expected to reaffirm Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to maintaining one of the world’s most respected and compliant ship registries while advancing international cooperation to safeguard the integrity of the global maritime industry.

In his address, the Prime Minister will underscore that effective flag State compliance, robust due diligence and transparent regulatory systems are essential to protecting international commerce from sanctions evasion, fraudulent vessel registrations and other illicit maritime activities. He is also expected to commend ADOMS for developing a comprehensive compliance framework that has significantly strengthened the integrity of Antigua and Barbuda’s registry and reduced its exposure to regulatory risk.

Prime Minister Browne will tell delegates that although Antigua and Barbuda is a small island developing state, it has demonstrated that size is no barrier to leadership on matters of global importance.

He is expected to highlight the country’s growing role in shaping international maritime policy through strategic partnerships with the United States and other global stakeholders, as well as its active participation in initiatives aimed at strengthening sanctions enforcement and combating fraudulent maritime practices.

The Prime Minister is also expected to welcome the International Maritime Organization’s recently adopted guidelines addressing fraudulent ship registration and fraudulent registries, describing them as an important milestone in closing regulatory gaps and strengthening international standards across the shipping industry.

Highlighting the significance of the Symposium, Prime Minister Browne will note that the maritime industry continues to face increasingly sophisticated threats, including sanctions evasion, the proliferation of so-called “shadow fleets,” fraudulent registrations and deceptive shipping practices that undermine global security and fair competition. He will encourage participants to use the Symposium as an opportunity to strengthen collaboration, exchange intelligence and develop practical solutions that reinforce transparency and accountability throughout the maritime sector.

Prime Minister Browne will further reaffirm Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to multilateral cooperation, pointing to the country’s role as a founding member of the Global Centre for Maritime Sanctions Monitoring (GCMSM) and its strong support for the Registry Information Sharing Compact (RISC), initiatives that promote the timely sharing of information to identify and prevent illicit maritime activity.

He is expected to stress that international cooperation and information sharing remain among the most effective tools available to combat bad actors operating within the global shipping industry.

The Symposium will feature technical presentations and collaborative workshops focusing on emerging maritime security threats, including Automatic Identification System (AIS) spoofing, enhanced due diligence procedures for vessel registration, sanctions compliance, intelligence sharing and best practices for strengthening flag State oversight.

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda welcomes delegates from across the international maritime community and remains committed to working with global partners to advance maritime safety, strengthen sanctions enforcement, promote transparency and uphold the highest standards of compliance within the international shipping industry. 

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