Maritime Security: High-level Open Debate
Tomorrow morning (20 May), the Security Council will hold a high-level open debate titled “Strengthening Maritime Security through International Cooperation for Global Stability” under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item. Greece, the Council president in May, is convening the debate as one of its signature events. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to chair the meeting. The anticipated briefers are UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President of the Board of Directors of the Union of Greek Shipowners Melina Travlos, and Professor of International Relations at the University of Copenhagen and UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) Research Fellow Christian Bueger.
The concept note (S/2025/300) that Greece has prepared for the debate says that it is intended to provide an opportunity for member states to engage in a “strategic dialogue” to advance three main objectives: strengthening international efforts to counter maritime security threats through a holistic approach; promoting awareness about the severity of these threats and highlighting the need for the international community to intensify efforts to address them; and reviewing recent developments in the field of maritime security, with a view to enabling the Council to consider appropriate follow-up measures.
The note underscores the vital role of maritime security in promoting global stability, economic resilience, and sustainable development, while highlighting increasing disruptions that undermine freedom of navigation and maritime infrastructure. It outlines a wide array of threats in this regard, including attacks on international shipping, which pose serious risks to food and energy security, global trade, and economic stability. Moreover, it describes the prevalence of maritime crime as a threat to “legitimate uses of the sea” and highlights the convergence of illicit activities—such as transnational organised crime, arms and drug trafficking, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, piracy, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing—which may facilitate or support other unlawful acts, including terrorism.
The note also draws attention to emerging risks associated with technological developments, which further complicate the maritime security landscape. It calls for greater awareness of the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on maritime security, noting the potential of these challenges to act as risk multipliers. It further points to the environmental consequences of unlawful acts at sea—particularly attacks on shipping—which may have implications for international peace and security.
Maritime security has emerged as an important issue of discussion on the Security Council. All current Council members are littoral states, giving them a direct stake in the issue. While the Council has addressed a broad range of maritime security challenges over the years, its approach has traditionally focused on specific geographic hotspots and addressed threats in isolation. A notable exception was the Council’s first thematic meeting on maritime security in August 2021, which India—as an elected Council member for the 2021-2022 term—convened during its first Council presidency. At that meeting, the Council adopted a presidential statement, which identified a range of maritime threats, including piracy, armed robbery at sea, terrorist activities exploiting maritime routes, and attacks on shipping, offshore installations, and critical infrastructure. The statement recognised the importance of international and regional cooperation and 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.)
Against this backdrop, the concept note for tomorrow’s meeting stresses the importance of strengthened international cooperation and partnerships to address maritime security challenges. It highlights three particular areas where it argues that such action is required: maritime domain awareness, risk management, and multidimensional responses. The note also proposes a series of questions to help guide the discussion, including:
- What measures can the international community take to mitigate the impact of threats to international navigation and trade and the stability of supply chains?
- How can existing frameworks and tools be more effectively implemented to enhance maritime security and stability?
- How and under what conditions can new technologies be utilised to scale up a comprehensive response?
- How can national authorities strengthen their capacities to address the growing interconnectivity of criminal maritime activities?
At tomorrow’s open debate, Guterres and several member states are expected to underscore the importance of safeguarding the freedom and safety of navigation, drawing attention to the cascading impacts of maritime disruptions on international commerce and economic stability. They may stress the need for coherent multilateral approaches to address the wide-ranging peace and security threats posed by maritime crime, particularly given its transnational nature. They may also highlight the importance of regional cooperation in legal and law enforcement matters through effective information-sharing mechanisms. Some members may further encourage states to strengthen national capacities to ensure maritime safety within their jurisdictions. Additionally, they are likely to emphasise the central role of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the primary international legal framework governing maritime activity.
Travlos is likely to highlight the significance of international shipping in sustaining global trade, economic stability, food security, and the distribution of essential goods. She may draw attention to the critical role played by merchant and commercial vessels in responding to humanitarian crises around the world. She may also raise concerns about the growing threat posed by attacks on international shipping, which disrupt critical supply lines and maritime trade routes while compromising the safety of vessels and their crews. Travlos may further note the mounting challenges faced by seafarers, particularly in relation to maritime crime, and highlight emerging technological threats such as cyberattacks and the malicious use of artificial intelligence by criminal networks.
In this context, Travlos is expected to emphasise the need for coherent and coordinated international efforts, calling for stronger synergies among stakeholders to address emerging threats and reinforce maritime safety. She may also emphasise the importance of fostering sustainable and resilient practices in the global shipping industry, including the adoption of cleaner technologies, improved operational standards, and strengthened regulatory frameworks.
In his briefing, Bueger is expected to draw on the findings and conclusions of UNIDIR’s November 2024 report “Securing the Seas: A comprehensive assessment of global maritime security”. The report provides an overview of contemporary maritime security challenges and outlines emerging risks, threats, and regulatory deficits. These include issues related to technological developments—such as cyberattacks and the growing use of low-cost uncrewed systems—as well as the interlinkages between maritime security and climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental protection. Bueger might reference some of the key recommendations contained in the report, which include the establishment of a high-level panel to evaluate options for implementing a coordinated maritime security strategy at the UN; improved global assessments of and reporting on maritime security across countries and regions; clarifying and updating legal frameworks to address issues such as maritime cybersecurity, protection of critical infrastructure, and sanctions evasion; and strengthening maritime security cooperation at the regional level.
Some speakers may refer to other efforts by the UN system and the international community to address the issue of maritime security. In September 2024, UN member states adopted the Pact for the Future as the outcome document of the Summit of the Future held that month. In Action 22 of Chapter 2 of the Pact—which concerns international peace and security—member states recognised the need to address the serious impact of threats to maritime security and safety. They decided to enhance cooperation at global, regional, subregional, and bilateral levels to combat these threats, while promoting information-sharing and capacity-building to detect, prevent, and suppress them. Tomorrow, some member states may stress the need to follow through on these commitments through concrete action.
Some may also indicate an interest in exploring the concept of maritime security in peacekeeping contexts. In November 2024, the Department of Peace Operations (DPO) released an independent study that it had commissioned, which recommended a modular approach to UN peacekeeping and proposed 30 different models for addressing a broad spectrum of traditional and emerging peacekeeping tasks. Maritime peacekeeping missions were described as a possible model as part of UN efforts to develop new instruments for addressing threats to maritime security and safety. The study outlined several potential tasks for such missions, including monitoring peace agreements within riverine areas, overseeing territorial waters, securing coastlines, protecting sea lanes, conducting anti-piracy and anti-IUU fishing operations, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and supporting capacity-building and confidence-building initiatives.