About

Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) is a program of the One Earth Future Foundation, a privately funded and independent non-profit organization located in Colorado, USA.  

OBP was launched in 2010 with the intent to develop a response to maritime piracy through:

• Mobilizing stakeholders from the maritime community

• Developing public-private partnerships to promote long-term solutions at sea and ashore

• Sustainable deterrence based on the rule of law

OBP believes that the answers to the piracy problem should come from within the community of stakeholders. We work with an extensive - and growing - number of experts to find a solution to piracy. Through meetings and workshops we host, our research and analysis, and our development and encouragement of new cross-sector partnerships, we support the international community in its efforts to bring an end to contemporary maritime piracy.

With the increasing capacity of OBP to tackle the constantly evolving issues of maritime security, OBP has created different programs to more specifically target the issues. The programs of OBP are integrated, working in conjuction with one another based on our principles and goals.

East Africa: Our East Africa program continues its work to deveop a sustainable and long-term solution to maritime piracy in the Western Indian Ocean and Horn of Africa through supporting maritime stakeholders in their work to build security capacity, create economic opportunity and enhance maritime situational awareness in and around the waters off the Somali coast and in the wider Western Indian Ocean.

West Africa: OBP's West Africa program is working with all relevant regional and international stakeholders to help coordinate the fight against maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea through a sustainable and region specific response.

Secure Fisheries: A sister program to OBP, Secure Fisheries works to address one of piracy's perceived root causes by combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Somalia's EEZ and the Indian Ocean. Secure Fisheries bridges the gap between combating piracy and building a lasting solution through improved governance and monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries resources. 

The work of OBP is founded upon the following principles:

• Transparency: A sustainable solution to piracy will only be attained through transparent information-sharing and the development of a strong evidence base.

• Inclusiveness: Because we believe that the solutions to maritime piracy lie with the stakeholders themselves, OBP actively engages and works alongside key experts and actors from every sector of the maritime community.

• Shared Commitment: Solving piracy is a difficult and arduous process, requiring action by invested stakeholders. OBP remains committed to sharing the burden of seeking long-term, viable solutions to piracy.

• Independence: We believe that OBP serves an important role as an unbiased independent contributor to global counter-piracy efforts. We are privately financed and our financial statements are made public.

We welcome feedback. To contact us please click here.