Maritime Security
Expected Council Action
In August, the Security Council will hold a high-level open debate titled “Maritime Security: Prevention, Innovation, and International Cooperation to Address Emerging Challenges” under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item. This will be the signature event of Panama’s presidency. President José Raúl Mulino of Panama is expected to chair the meeting. The anticipated briefers are the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Domínguez; the Secretary-General of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Valdecy Urquiza; and the Chief Executive Officer of the Panama Canal Authority, Ricaurte Vásquez.
A concept note (S/2025/483) has been circulated by Panama to inform the discussion at the high-level debate. No formal outcome is expected from the meeting.
Key Recent Developments
The Council has traditionally approached maritime security by focusing on specific geographic hotspots and addressing threats in isolation. In recent years, however, elected Council members have advocated for a more holistic approach that reflects the interconnected and transnational nature of maritime threats.
On 9 August 2021, the Council adopted a presidential statement, initiated by India, which identified a range of maritime threats—including piracy, armed robbery at sea, terrorist exploitation of maritime routes, and attacks on shipping, offshore installations, and critical infrastructure—and recognised the importance of international and regional cooperation in addressing these threats. It also emphasised the need to enhance information-sharing and strengthen national capacities to promote maritime safety and security. (For background and more information, see the brief on Maritime Security in our May 2025 Monthly Forecast.)
On 20 May, the Council held a high-level open debate titled “Strengthening Maritime Security through International Cooperation for Global Stability”, which was chaired by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. (For more information, see our 19 May 2025 What’s in Blue story.)
In his briefing at the meeting, Christian Bueger, a research fellow at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), urged Council members to pursue a more systematic, evidence-based, and coordinated approach to maritime security governance. He said that despite substantial international efforts, “blue crimes” such as piracy and smuggling continue to undermine regional stability. He noted that the proliferation of autonomous weapons systems, naval mines, maritime cybersecurity threats, sub-standard shipping linked to sanctions evasion and the need to protect critical maritime infrastructure require sustained and systematic attention. Bueger argued that the UN system’s current approach to maritime security is fragmented and in need of recalibration, noting the absence of a global strategy or coordination mechanism. In this context, he suggested that the Council consider supporting efforts to strengthen coordination, information-sharing, and strategic thinking, including through the establishment of a standing item on the Council’s agenda dedicated to maritime security or creating an office of a special rapporteur.
In July, the Piracy Reporting Centre of the International Maritime Bureau, a specialised division of the International Chamber of Commerce, released its report covering the period from January to June. The report documented 90 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against vessels, representing a 50 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. These included cases of vessel boardings, attempted attacks, hijackings, and incidents involving gunfire. The report recorded the highest number of incidents in the Singapore Strait, with 57 cases, an almost fourfold increase compared to 15 during the same period in 2024. While the reported incidents in the Gulf of Guinea remained low, the report noted that they continued to pose significant risks to crew safety, accounting for 87 percent of all crew kidnappings in the first half of 2025.
The escalation in the Red Sea against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war that started on 7 October 2023 exposed the fragility of global maritime trade routes and demonstrated how disruptions at critical choke points can impact international commerce and undermine economic stability. Beginning in mid-November 2023, Yemen’s Houthi rebel group launched a series of sophisticated attacks against merchant and commercial ships transiting the Red Sea. As at 6 May, reports indicate that the Houthis had attacked 176 vessels in the Red Sea.
In response, the Council adopted resolution 2722 of 10 January 2024, which, among other things, demanded that the Houthis cease attacks on vessels and acknowledged member states’ right to defend their vessels from attacks, including those that undermine navigational rights and freedoms. The resolution requested the Secretary-General to provide written monthly reports on further Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, most recently extended by resolution 2787 of 15 July.
Houthi attacks in the Red Sea had largely subsided for approximately seven months, following sustained efforts by international partners to safeguard maritime routes. These efforts included the multinational maritime security initiative Operation Prosperity Guardian, as well as two air campaigns: Operation Poseidon Archer, led by the UK and the US, and Operation Rough Rider, led by the US. However, the attacks resumed on 6 and 7 July—marking the first such incidents since late 2024—with strikes on the MV Magic Seas and the MV Eternity C, respectively, resulting in at least four fatalities and several injuries. (For more information, see our 8 July 2025 What’s in Blue story.)
Key Issues and Options
A key issue for the Council is how to address the increasingly complex and interconnected threats to maritime security. One pressing concern relates to growing disruptions to freedom of navigation, particularly in strategic chokepoints and heavily trafficked maritime routes. Such disruptions pose a serious threat to international trade and global economic stability, with cascading impacts on food and energy security.
A related concern is the growing threat from emerging technologies and the proliferation of advanced weaponry, including unmanned systems and precision-guided missiles, which have transformed the nature of maritime conflict. Recent years have seen a rise in attacks on critical maritime infrastructure—such as port facilities and navigation systems—often exploiting cyber vulnerabilities, with potentially far-reaching geopolitical and economic consequences.
The evolving threat landscape, driven by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and advanced surveillance tools, underscores the need to strengthen situational awareness and international cooperation. Enhanced information-sharing and capacity building, including through the transfer of technology and best practices, are critical to enabling states to effectively govern and protect maritime domains.
Another area of concern for Council members is the persistent violation of UN Security Council resolutions aimed at curbing the illicit transport of sanctioned commodities and weapons. Several members have also raised alarm over the growing number of maritime activities designed to circumvent sanctions imposed on both state entities and terrorist-designated groups.
An important issue is organised crime at sea, along with the growing nexus between terrorism and maritime crime. Addressing underlying causes, such as weak governance, poverty, and limited economic opportunities, remains a key challenge in countering these threats, ensuring regional security, and promoting sustainable economic development.
Additionally, environmental and climate-related risks are exacerbating maritime insecurity through rising sea levels and the degradation of marine ecosystems. Illegal fishing, pollution, and unsustainable resource exploitation remain significant threats, particularly for vulnerable coastal and island states.
Another important issue for the Council is how to support coordinated responses to maritime threats while promoting compliance with existing international legal instruments, primarily the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This requires enhanced cooperation not only among states but also with regional organisations, civil society, the private sector, and local authorities, to develop coherent, coordinated, and holistic responses to the threats to maritime security.
Some members may suggest the need for regular reporting from the Secretary-General on maritime security, moving beyond incident-based updates to comprehensive assessments that identify emerging trends and vulnerabilities. Such reporting could help raise awareness, highlight gaps in existing provisions, and inform early response strategies.
To galvanise efforts and keep the Council’s attention on the issue, Council members may also consider organising informal briefings, including Arria-formula and expert-level briefings, to consider adequate responses to contemporary challenges in the maritime domain and invite industry experts to share insights, best practices, and emerging trends that could promote policy coherence.
Council Dynamics
Council members acknowledge that the wide-ranging peace and security threats posed by maritime crime demand coherent and effective multilateral approaches, particularly because of the transnational nature of these challenges. Given that all Council members are littoral states, they have a direct stake in maritime security. All Council members are also state parties to UNCLOS, except for the US, which nonetheless considers many of the convention’s provisions as part of customary law. (For more information, see the brief on Maritime Security in our May 2025 Monthly Forecast.)
The Council’s 20 May debate on maritime security revealed differing views among members on a range of issues. China and Russia, for instance, voiced reservations about an expansive Council role in maritime issues. In this regard, Russia argued that “most of the issues raised in today’s debate—transnational organized crime, the illicit arms trade, drug trafficking, trafficking in persons and the illegal exploitation of marine resources—are not part of the Security Council’s remit”. China also argued that the Council is not the appropriate venue for addressing specific maritime disputes, such as those in the South China Sea.
The US and China differ sharply in their legal interpretations of UNCLOS, particularly regarding the principle of freedom-of-navigation and China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, which are rejected by the US and several other countries as excessive. To reinforce its interpretation of navigational rights and freedoms, the US routinely conducts freedom-of-navigation operations in the region using its naval and air forces. In its remarks at the 20 May meeting, the US condemned what it described as China’s “dangerous and unlawful actions” in the South China Sea and called on Beijing to comply with the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. This ruling, initiated by the Philippines under UNCLOS, found China’s claims and several of its activities in the South China Sea, including land reclamation and resource exploitation, to be unlawful. China, for its part, rejected the 2016 award as “illegal” and “invalid” and accused the US of using its military presence in the region to project power and provoke confrontation.
Another key point of contention that has emerged between Russia and European Council members relates to the issue of so-called “shadow fleets”. IMO defines these as “ships that are engaged in illegal operations for the purposes of circumventing sanctions, evading compliance with safety or environmental regulations, avoiding insurance costs or engaging in other illegal activities”. On 18 July, the European Union (EU) announced a new sanctions package targeting Russia’s energy, banking, and military sectors in the context of the war in Ukraine. The package includes measures against 105 vessels, which are now subject to a port access ban and broad restrictions on maritime transport-related services—bringing the total number of listed vessels to 444. On 21 July, the UK also imposed new sanctions, targeting 135 oil tankers, as well as a shipping services company and an oil trading firm.
During the 20 May meeting, Russia denounced the EU’s sanctions measures as an attempt by EU member states to impose their own political paradigms and preferences on others. It called these sanctions “unilateral coercive measures” and alleged that they are inherently illegal and contrary to international law.
| Security Council Meeting Records | |
| 20 May 2025S/PV.9919 | This was a meeting titled “Strengthening Maritime Security through International Cooperation for Global Stability”, organised by Greece as one of its signature events. |
| Security Council Presidential Statements | |
| 9 August 2021S/PRST/2021/15 | This presidential statement reaffirmed that international law, as reflected in UNCLOS, sets out the legal framework applicable to activities in the oceans and encouraged member states to continue building and strengthening their capacities to enhance maritime security, including against piracy and armed robbery at sea, terrorist activities, and transnational organized crime. |
