MANAMA, Bahrain – Representatives from Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) participated in the fifth Regional Maritime Law Enforcement Dialogue in Nairobi, Kenya, which concluded Aug. 25.

Organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in partnership with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and INTERPOL, the event brought together representatives from regional navies, coast guards and various civilian maritime security organizations.

The Dialogue aimed to strengthen cooperation and information sharing across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with discussions focused on piracy and threats to commercial shipping, maritime domain awareness and information sharing, and inter-agency coordination. Participants also shared national perspectives on key maritime threats and identified practical measures to strengthen regional cooperation.

Royal Canadian Navy Cmdr. Melissa Desjardins, deputy commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154, delivered a CMF operations brief to participants attending both in person and virtually. Her presentation highlighted CMF’s 47 nation partnership, its operational task forces, information sharing mechanisms, and CTF 154’s role in multinational training and capacity development.

“The value of this Dialogue was the opportunity to hear directly from regional maritime law enforcement partners about the challenges they face and where closer cooperation can make a practical difference,” said Desjardins. “These discussions will help CMF better align engagement and capacity-development activities with regional needs while complementing the important work already being undertaken by our partners.”

This engagement supports CMF’s ongoing efforts to strengthen relationships with regional maritime partners and connect regional priorities with the operational experience, expertise and information-sharing capabilities available across the multinational force. For CTF 154, it also reflects the Indian Navy-led command’s focus on training cooperation and capacity development.

CMF, headquartered in Bahrain with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet, is the largest multinational naval partnership in the world, with 47 nations committed to upholding the international rules-based order at sea. It promotes security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.