Oceans and the law of the sea A/RES/72/73 excellence within its purpose and mandate, and notes also the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea mechanism and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations covering the high-risk area; 124. Urges all States, in cooperation with the International Maritime Organization, to actively combat piracy and armed robbery at sea by adopting measures, including those relating to assistance with capacity-building through training of seafarers, port staff and enforcement personnel in the prevention, reporting and investigation of incidents, by bringing the alleged perpetrators to justice, in accordance with international law, and by adopting national legislation, as well as by providing enforcement vessels and equipment and guarding against fraudulent ship registration; 125. Encourages States to ensure effective implementation of international law applicable to combating piracy, as reflected in the Convention, calls upon States to take appropriate steps under their national law to facilitate, in accordance with international law, the apprehension and prosecution of those who are alleged to have committed acts of piracy, including the financing or facilitation of such acts, also taking into account other relevant instruments that are consistent with the Convention, and encourages States to cooperate, as appropriate, with a view to developing their national legislation in this regard; 126. Invites all States, the International Maritime Organization, the International Labour Organization and other relevant international organizations and agencies to adopt or recommend, as appropriate, measures to protect the interest and welfare of seafarers and fishers who are victims of pirates, after their release from captivity, including their post-incident care and reintegration into society; 127. Notes the ongoing cooperation between the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Division with respect to the compilation of national legislation on piracy, also notes that copies of national legislation received by the Secretariat have been placed on the website of the Division, and encourages the aforementioned bodies to further cooperate with the view to assisting Member States, upon request, in developing their national laws on piracy; 128. Recognizes continued national, bilateral and trilateral initiatives, as well as regional cooperative mechanisms, in accordance with international law, to address piracy, including the financing or facilitation of acts of piracy, and armed robbery at sea, and calls upon States to give immediate attention to adopting, concluding and implementing cooperation agreements at the regional level on combating piracy and armed robbery against ships; 129. Expresses serious concern at the inhuman conditions hostages taken at sea face in captivity and also the adverse impact on their families, calls for the immediate release of all hostages taken at sea, and stresses the importance of cooperation among Member States on the issue of hostage-taking at sea; 130. Welcomes, in this regard, the ongoing work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Hostage Support Programme, funded by the Board of the Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, in securing the release of seafarers held hostage off the coast of Somalia; 51 131. Also welcomes the recent achievements against piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia resulting from efforts at the global and regional levels, which have resulted in a steady decline in pirate attacks as well as hijackings since 2011, in that regard continues to be gravely concerned by the ongoing threat that __________________ 51 17-21819 See S/2013/623, paras. 11–13, and S/2014/740, para. 10. 23/55