The Embassy of Denmark in Accra hosted an event this week to celebrate World Maritime Day and commemorate a decade of the Danish Maritime Security Programme for the Gulf of Guinea. The gathering brought together officials from maritime security, commercial, and regulatory sectors, alongside a maritime-themed art exhibition.
This year’s World Maritime Day theme, “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence,” reflected Denmark’s ten years of translating maritime policies into operational action in the Gulf of Guinea. Jakob Linulf, Denmark’s Ambassador to Ghana, emphasised the strategic partnership between the two nations.
“As a seafaring nation, Denmark understands the importance of safe seas, freedom of navigation, and a rules-based maritime order,” Linulf said. “For a decade now, Denmark has worked closely with Ghana to ensure today’s safe and open sea lanes in Gulf of Guinea, which are vital for international trade, economic development, and the livelihoods of millions of people.”
The Danish Maritime Security Programme began in 2016, funded through the Danish Peace and Stabilization Fund. Now in its third phase, running from 2022 to 2026, the programme takes a multi-layered approach addressing the maritime criminal justice chain. It combines diplomacy, development assistance, and military support in collaboration with national, regional, and international partners, including Ghana.
Denmark’s assistance under the programme focuses on three pillars. The first is normative work, which involves supporting the development of strategic, legal, and operational frameworks for maritime security and governance. This includes alignment with regional and international frameworks such as the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA Convention).
The second pillar is capacity building. Denmark provides training and development for military personnel, including Ghana Navy’s Special Boat Squadron, and for civilian actors in law enforcement, prosecution, and inter-agency coordination. Partners involved in this effort include the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), INTERPOL, the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), and the Royal Danish Defence College.
The third pillar focuses on supplying equipment and infrastructure to strengthen the operational capabilities of regional and national maritime security institutions.
Denmark, with a long maritime history, remains committed to international legal and policy frameworks promoting freedom of navigation, maritime safety, and the protection of seafarers. Around 90% of global trade by volume is transported by sea, underscoring the economic stakes involved.
Alongside the official proceedings, the event featured three commissioned artworks by Ghanaian and international artists Emmanuel Aggrey Tieku, Fang Wang Linulf, and Patrick Tagoe-Turkson. Their pieces explored themes of maritime pollution, ocean-borne waste, and the lived coastal realities of the Gulf of Guinea. The exhibition aimed to raise awareness of ocean ecology, coastal memory, and the human dimensions of maritime governance.
The Danish Embassy’s event in Accra brought together a range of actors invested in the security and sustainability of the Gulf of Guinea’s maritime domain, reflecting a decade of cooperation between Denmark and Ghana.
According to Joy Online.
