Juliet Beyler, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF)’s Govt Director, visited Antananarivo, Madagascar for a Girls, Peace and Safety (WPS) occasion organized and hosted by NAVAF and the U.S. Embassy, in addition to engagements with U.S. and Malagasy officers, Feb. 12-13, 2024.
Through the WPS engagement, Beyler and representatives from Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, and Uganda mentioned operationalizing Regional and Nationwide Motion Plans on Girls, Peace, and Safety inside their particular person navies and coast guards. The dialogue additionally included analysis and evaluation of WPS applications to mitigate operational blind spots throughout maritime safety operations through the use of a gender perspective.
“I thank the federal government of Madagascar and our U.S. Embassy right here in Antananarivo for internet hosting such knowledgeable and impactful Girls, Peace and Safety engagement,” stated Beyler. “The WPS program is such an essential initiative as a result of, by constructing partnerships and advancing girls’s significant participation throughout our protection and safety sectors, we improve our particular person and collective capacities. We’re thrilled to be part of this program alongside our African companions.”
That is the primary U.S. Navy WPS engagement on the continent in 2024, and units the stage for the remainder of the yr. NAVAF and companions are coordinating three extra WPS engagements targeted on Maritime Safety to be hosted in West and North Africa, in addition to the primary African Maritime Gender Community to be hosted in Sierra Leone. The substantial efforts of African companions and the NAVAF WPS program proceed to boost consciousness of UN Safety Council Decision 1325 and the Girls, Peace, and Safety program worldwide.
“Our companions proceed to step up and prepared the ground in studying about and implementing tenets of WPS into their governments and militaries,” stated Carrie Compton, NAVEUR-NAVAF’s Gender Advisor and WPS lead. “The engagement right here in Antananarivo continues the nice work we achieved in 2023 and we look ahead to persevering with to boost the bar on this initiative, bringing in additional companions and extra voices.”
Whereas in Madagascar, Beyler additionally met with U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar and the Comoros Claire Pierangelo; the administrators of the Regional Maritime Data Fusion Heart and Nationwide Maritime Data Fusion Heart; Chief of Employees of the Malagasy Navy Rear Admiral Gabriel Tsiriniaina; the Minister of Transportation; Minister of Fisheries and Blue Financial system Paubert T. Mahatante; and the commander of the Diego Suarez (Antsiranana) Naval Base.
Her go to comes roughly two weeks after one other visiting delegation from NAVEUR-NAVAF and U.S. Sixth Fleet. Rear Adm. Calvin Foster, U.S. Sixth Fleet’s vice commander and Director, Maritime Partnership Program, carried out a collection of bilateral engagements with Ambassador Pierangelo, Rear Admiral Tsiriniaina and Minister Mahatante in Antananarivo.
Throughout his go to, Foster emphasised the significance of continued worldwide cooperation at nationwide, regional, and continent-wide ranges to fight unlawful, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. He additionally thanked the Malagasy folks for his or her continued bilateral and multilateral engagement with the U.S. and different regional Allies and companions, in addition to Madagascar’s very important participation in multinational workout routines and engagements corresponding to train Cutlass Categorical and the African Maritime Forces Summit (AMFS).
Each visits from senior leaders at NAVEUR-NAVAF and U.S. Sixth Fleet reveal the sturdy and enduring maritime relationships between the U.S. and Madagascar and underscore the significance of collaboration within the maritime area.
“It’s an honor to fulfill with our Malagasy counterparts and talk about the sturdy relationship our navies and governments share,” stated Foster. “Regional threats like unlawful trafficking and IUU fishing require collaborative options, and Madagascar and the US stand shoulder-to-shoulder in addressing challenges like these.”
For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has solid strategic relationships with allies and companions, leveraging a basis of shared values to protect safety and stability.
Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces within the USEUCOM and USAFRICOM areas of duty. U.S. Sixth Fleet is completely assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces by way of the total spectrum of joint and naval operations.
