Maritime Security: High-level Open Debate
On Monday (11 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. Panama’s President, José Raúl Mulino, is expected to chair the meeting, which is the signature event of Panama’s August Council presidency. 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 Morales.
The concept note that Panama has prepared for Monday’s open debate says that it is intended to provide a platform for member states to engage in substantive dialogue on emerging global challenges to peace and maritime security. It emphasises the importance of innovative, inclusive, and cooperative approaches that reinforce multilateralism and the international legal framework.
At the 1 August press conference on the Council’s programme of work for the month, Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba (Panama) said that the open debate will take a global, multi-dimensional approach to maritime security, highlighting interlinkages among international peace, economic stability, and environmental sustainability. He noted that the meeting will also highlight Panama’s contributions to the international community, particularly its administration of the Panama Canal—a strategic waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which serves as a vital conduit for global maritime trade—and its shipping registry. Alba added that the meeting is not intended to cover country-specific contexts or other issues that are more appropriately addressed through bilateral channels.
Addressing the increasingly complex and interconnected threats to maritime security has become an area of growing concern for the Security Council. The convergence of traditional threats and emerging challenges to maritime security has prompted several member states to advocate for a more holistic and coordinated approach in addressing these challenges. Council members appear to acknowledge that the wide-ranging peace and security threats posed by maritime crime require coherent and effective multilateral approaches, particularly because of the transnational nature of these challenges. In 2021, the Council adopted a presidential statement 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. (For background and more information, see the brief on maritime security in our August 2025 Monthly Forecast.)
The concept note for Monday’s meeting underscores that disruptions to the freedom of navigation pose an increasing threat to international trade and global economic stability, particularly for countries already grappling with food and energy insecurity. It also notes that geopolitical tensions are being exacerbated by “controversies over access and control of maritime routes, as well as latent disinformation and disagreements on cooperation”. The concept note raises concern over violations of UN Security Council resolutions aimed at illicitly transporting critical resources and evading sanctions imposed on states or terrorist-designated entities. It also describes long-standing challenges to maritime security, including a lack of transparency and monitoring mechanisms, fragmented jurisdictional oversight, and unresolved legal ambiguities, all of which continue to weaken global efforts to counter transnational criminal activity.
Furthermore, the concept note draws attention to growing risks associated with emerging technologies, particularly the threat of cyberattacks targeting critical maritime infrastructure. It also refers to the proliferation of criminal networks operating on the high seas, which engage in a broad range of illicit activities, including piracy, drug and arms trafficking, human and migrant smuggling, wildlife trafficking, and the trade in controlled substances. Additionally, illicit practices such as illegal fishing and the unlawful disposal of toxic waste are identified as serious threats to ecological sustainability hindering progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in several countries. The note also identifies climate change and environmental degradation as risk multipliers that exacerbate instability in the maritime domain.
In the context of these challenges, the concept note underscores the significance of strict compliance with UN Security Council resolutions and the global institutional and legal frameworks that govern international waters, safeguard coastal states, and uphold international maritime law. It emphasises the need to prioritise deeper international cooperation to ensure the effective implementation of existing legal instruments, establish robust monitoring mechanisms, and undertake sustained efforts to develop preventive systems that can support a coordinated global response to emerging threats.
The concept note also highlights the imperative of strengthening information-sharing arrangements and technological exchange to enhance compliance with relevant legal frameworks and sanctions regimes. It further encourages the promotion of innovative tools to protect critical maritime infrastructure, including the responsible use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), to improve maritime domain awareness and contribute to global economic stability.
The concept note proposes several questions to help guide the discussion at Monday’s meeting, including:
- How can member states advance the creation of a dedicated UN mechanism for maritime security to strengthen international cooperation and coordinate urgent responses to emerging challenges?
- How can prevention and emergency response mechanisms be improved to effectively safeguard key maritime routes?
- What steps can be taken to protect the oceans from environmental threats while promoting equitable economic growth for ocean-dependent nations?
- What role should novel technologies, such as satellite monitoring systems and AI, play in strengthening maritime security?
The Council most recently discussed maritime security at a high-level open debate convened by Greece during its May Council presidency. The meeting reflected member states’ shared concerns over evolving maritime threats and underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation and coordination. It also revealed diverging views on a range of issues, however. For instance, China and Russia expressed reservations about an expanded mandate for the Council on maritime issues. Russia objected to the Council addressing related matters such as transnational organised crime, illicit arms and drug trafficking, human trafficking, and the illegal exploitation of marine resources, arguing that these fall outside the Council’s remit. China, for its part, contended that the Council is not the appropriate forum for addressing specific maritime disputes, including those in the South China Sea. (For more information, see our 19 May What’s in Blue story.)
China and the US differ sharply in their legal interpretations of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), particularly regarding the principle of freedom of navigation and China’s claims in the South China Sea, which are rejected by the US and several other countries as excessive. During the May meeting, the US condemned what it described as China’s “dangerous and unlawful actions” in the South China Sea, while China 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”. The 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”.
The European Union (EU) has imposed restrictive measures on such fleets with the aim of curbing Russia’s energy revenues in the wake of its war in Ukraine. EU members have expressed concern over the growing use of these shipping networks and have called for strengthened international monitoring and accountability mechanisms. Russia has denounced such sanctions measures as an attempt by EU member states to impose their own political interests on others. It has called these sanctions “unilateral coercive measures” and alleged that they are illegal and contravene international law. Most recently, media reports indicated that the US is considering imposing a new round of sanctions on shadow fleets of oil tankers if Russia fails to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
