The project "PASSMAR Outcome 2: National maritime legislative and regulatory frameworks are adopted and law enforcement is strengthened" was co-financed by the EU under the 11th European Development Fund. It aimed to enable ECCAS coastal states to prosecute cases of piracy and other maritime crimes in accordance with the Yaoundé Code of Conduct and to increase response and cooperation in Zones A and D.
To achieve this, UNODC has built on existing legal reform initiatives, training and advice for prosecutors, judges and law enforcement officials in three ECCAS pilot countries, namely Cameroon, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe. In addition, some new countries were subject to a legal assessment, including Angola, Congo and the DRC.
UNODC also supported legal cooperation, developing memoranda of understanding to improve the quality and quantity of prosecutions. Actions have included: strengthening prosecutorial capacity, improving regional investigative and prosecutorial cooperation, legal reforms where necessary in the Gulf of Guinea countries, and legal support for existing cases on an ad hoc / request basis.