United Kingdom Chairmanship 2012
North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum
Southampton 1-4 October 2012
The North Atlantic Coast Guard Forum (NACGF) meets bi-annually, the responsibility of hosting the Summit and Experts Meeting during a calendar year is rotated among member countries. This year it is our turn to act as host nation. The NACGF is an informal organisation, bringing together representatives from North Atlantic / North European countries to facilitate multilateral cooperation on matters related to combined operations, illegal drug trafficking, marine security, environmental protection, information exchange, fisheries enforcement, illegal migration and search and rescue. The NACGF is also a forum for the exchange of technical expertise including, (but not limited to), maritime surveillance systems, equipment and shipbuilding.
The Annual Experts’ meeting was held in April for 3 days comprising of 1 day for working group discussion, 1.5 days for plenary meeting, and 0.5 day for a cultural tour (not including the registration day and departing day). At the Experts Meeting, subject matter specialists met as Working Groups.
The Annual Summit meeting will be held in October for 3 days comprising of 1 day for working group discussion, 1.5 days for a plenary meeting, and 0.5 day for a cultural tour (this doesn’t include the registration day and departing day). This meeting brings together the heads of participating Coast Guard agencies, or their equivalents, from member countries to review the work of the forum’s working groups, approve or amend decisions taken at the Experts Meeting and set out an action plan for the working groups in the year ahead that will become the basis of Forum combined operations and training.
During the Summit we, as the Host Nation, will arrange an exercise related to SAR and environmental response, the member countries will be invited to participate
The following countries are members of the NACGF: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States
For more information on the NACGF please email Sophie Turner: sophie.turner@mcga.gov.uk