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Since the conflict began with the US-Israeli bombing of Iran in late February, up to 20,000 sailors have been stranded on some 2,000 ships in the Persian Gulf, which borders Iran to the north, and unable to safely pass through the narrow waterway.
Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary General of IMO talk with UN News ahead of an important meeting on maritime security that will take place in Security Council on Monday.
UN News: What is maritime security?
Arsenio Dominguez: Maritime security includes the protection of ships, ports, seafarers and maritime infrastructure from all types of security threats, such as piracy, terrorism and cyber attacks.
A sailor works on a ship at sea.
For countries with coastlines, this also covers a wide range of illicit activities that may involve the sea, ships, ports or coasts, including arms and drug trafficking, illegal wildlife trade, crude oil theft, human trafficking and smuggling and illegal dumping of toxic waste.
UN News: Why is maritime security so important?
Arsenio Dominguez: Maritime security very important because this protects global trade, ensures the safety of seafarers, and keeps supply chains functioning. Without maritime security, maritime development will stall – and without maritime development, sustainable development will be impossible.
UN News: What can the current crisis in the Strait of Hormuz tell us about threats to shipping and seafarers in conflict situations?
Arsenio Dominguez: This shows that ships and crew are very vulnerable in conflict zones, and often become leverage in geopolitical disputes.
Commercial shipments have been made unfairly targeteddetained, or attacked, which shows how fragile freedom of navigation is.
UN News: What mechanisms can realistically protect seafarers caught up in geopolitical conflicts?
Arsenio Dominguez: Sharing information is very important. Disinformation and misinformation can make risk-based shipping planning difficult.
Ship operators and companies must ensure risk assessments are carried out before traveling through or in conflict areas.
Global supply chains can be disrupted if ships do not have freedom of navigation.
Diplomacy and conflict de-escalation are very important, while naval escort is still limited. A naval escort is not a sustainable solution.
UN News: How have threats to maritime security evolved over recent years?
Arsenio Dominguez: Looking back maritime security historically, the hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro, in October 1985, was a significant terrorist act.
The events of September 11 (2001) in the United States raised questions about the vulnerability of ships and, in particular, the possibility of shipping being used as a vector for terrorist activity.
Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Incidents of piracy and armed robbery of ships first came to the attention of the IMO in the late 1980s, with a spike in reported incidents in Asia.
With the rise in piracy in Somalia in the early 2010s, focus shifted to piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Aden and the Western Indian Ocean, as well as in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa.
The need for cooperation, capacity building and information exchange is now more important than ever.
UN News: What new challenges are emerging and how vulnerable is the shipping industry?
Arsenio Dominguez: There are a number of new challenges included cyber attacks on navigation, cargo systems, and port operations, those sabotage undersea cables, pipelines and port infrastructure, drone attacks on ships and related vulnerabilities autonomous ship.
The increasing sophistication of criminals operating in supply chains continues to present unique challenges to the global maritime trade environment.
UN News: To what extent has the challenge of protecting ships and seafarers become more difficult?
Arsenio Dominguez: Recently, international shipping and seafarers have been caught up in geopolitical conflicts for which they have no responsibility.
Ships with different flags and sailors from different countries have been captured.
Ships have been hit by unmanned aerial and surface projectiles. These were civilian merchant ships that had no ability to defend themselves against such attacks.
Civilian seafarers are not combatants and should not be targeted.
UN News: What other potential maritime barriers, globally, might be vulnerable in times of conflict?
Arsenio Dominguez: The main global waterways for international shipping include:
- Suez Canal
- Bab el‑Mandeb Strait
- Strait of Hormuz
- Straits of Malacca and Singapore
- Istanbul Strait, Çanakkale Strait and Sea of Marmara
- Panama Canal
Any disruption in these areas would have major global consequences for trade and food security for populations around the world.
UN News: What role does the UN play?
Arsenio Dominguez: IMO works with international partners to support countries in building their capacity to prepare for, fight and respond to security threats.
This work focuses on the implementation of relevant IMO security instruments, effective exchange of information, regional cooperation/coordination, and legal/legislative reform (such as national laws to prosecute criminal acts).
More generally, the IMO seeks to promote freedom of navigation through international law (UNCLOS), facilitate diplomatic responses to maritime crises, advocate for seafarer safety and humanitarian protection, and support maritime capacity development for vulnerable States.
