Maritime Security: High-level Open Debate
On Monday (27 April), the Security Council will hold a high-level open debate titled “The Safety and Protection of Waterways in the Maritime Domain” under the “Maintenance of international peace and security” agenda item. Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani is expected to chair the meeting, which is one of the signature events of Bahrain’s April Council presidency. The anticipated briefers are UN Secretary-General António Guterres; Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez; and Nick Childs, Senior Fellow for Naval Forces and Maritime Security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The concept note that Bahrain has prepared for Monday’s open debate states that the meeting is intended to provide an opportunity for member states to exchange views on current and evolving threats to maritime security, particularly those affecting lawful transit passage or freedom of navigation; discuss ways to strengthen international cooperation to enhance the safety and protection of critical waterways; and examine recent developments in the maritime domain that may warrant further consideration by the Security Council.
It further notes that the growing threats to international waterways—including challenges to navigational rights and freedoms, increased attacks on merchant and commercial vessels, and rising risks to seafarers—underscore the urgency of such discussions, particularly in relation to critical maritime routes. The concept note underscores the importance of the major transit routes for global energy flows, bulk commodities, agricultural shipments, raw materials, and manufactured goods, highlighting their role as critical enablers of global supply chains. In this context, it emphasises that disruptions to maritime transport through key waterways—including closure, obstruction, or other forms of interference—pose a direct threat to international peace and security and adversely affect international trade, energy security, economic stability, and access to essential humanitarian assistance.
Recent developments in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz have underscored how land-based conflicts can spill over into the maritime domain, exposing the fragility of global trade routes and the vulnerability of critical chokepoints. The situation in the Strait of Hormuz has escalated following the US-Israeli strikes against Iranian targets that started on 28 February and Iran’s subsequent retaliation against Israel and countries in the Gulf hosting US military bases. This escalation has led to the use of blockade tactics by Iran and the US, with the number of vessels transiting the Strait declining significantly since late February amid heightened risks, driving up insurance costs and contributing to a surge in global oil prices. Repeated attacks on merchant vessels, commercial shipping, and port infrastructure in littoral states have further heightened instability, with implications for global energy and trade flows extending well beyond the region. (For background and more information, see the brief on maritime security in our April 2026 Monthly Forecast.)
The concept note argues that addressing challenges to maritime security requires a unified and collective approach grounded in international cooperation and the rule of law. It underscores the role of international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as the legal framework governing maritime activities, including the regulation and protection of transit through straits used for international navigation. In this regard, the concept note emphasises the importance of building on existing national, regional, and international initiatives to enhance maritime safety and security, strengthen member states’ capacities, and develop effective responses to evolving threats.
The concept note proposes several questions to help guide the discussion, including:
- How do threats to critical waterways in the maritime domain affect international peace and security and the stability of global trade routes?
- What practical measures can member states and relevant international organisations take to mitigate the impact of these evolving threats on international navigation, global trade, and supply chain stability?
- How can existing frameworks and mechanisms be implemented, strengthened, and better coordinated to advance maritime stability and security?
- How can the Security Council support the development of sustainable solutions to protect vital waterways in the maritime domain in a manner that contributes to long-term peace and security?
Speakers at Monday’s open debate are likely to underscore the importance of upholding the freedom of navigation and ensuring the safety and security of merchant and commercial vessels as well as seafarers. They may condemn actions that interfere with safe passage and undermine navigational rights and freedoms along critical maritime routes, including attacks, blockades, and seizures. Some members are expected to call for a comprehensive and inclusive approach to addressing challenges at key maritime chokepoints, given their potential to disrupt global trade and cause wider economic instability. Some may further emphasise the need to uphold UNCLOS as the legal framework for maritime governance.
Many speakers are likely to address recent developments related to the Strait of Hormuz. The situation remains volatile, although Iranian and US representatives were expected to convene in Islamabad for a second round of talks in the coming days, at the time of writing. Meanwhile, since 13 April, the US has been enforcing a naval blockade on maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports, including intercepting and, in some cases, seizing vessels linked to Iran near the Strait and redirecting ships carrying cargo to or from Iranian ports. Iran, for its part, has continued to impose restrictions on the passage of international vessels, allowing transit only to vessels authorised by its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), amid reports that the country has laid additional naval mines in the Strait. Media reports also indicate that, on 22 April, Iranian forces seized two foreign-flagged container ships attempting to exit the Strait of Hormuz and fired on a third vessel.
In late March, Bahrain proposed a draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz crisis, in close coordination with several other member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)—Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—as well as Jordan. The draft text would have strongly encouraged states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts of a defensive nature to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait, including through the escort of merchant and commercial vessels. However, the draft text failed to be adopted due to vetoes cast by China and Russia. Eleven other Council members voted in favour, while Colombia and Pakistan abstained. (For more information, see our 6 April What’s in Blue story.)
Despite differing views among Council members on how to address recent disruptions to maritime security, there is broad acknowledgement that promoting maritime security requires coherent and effective multilateral approaches, given the transnational nature of these challenges. In this context, some members may underline at Monday’s meeting the Council’s key role in responding to evolving threats to maritime security and the need to promote international cooperation to ensure the safety and security of critical maritime routes.
Some Council members may also highlight initiatives undertaken in their national capacities to ensure freedom of navigation in the region. For instance, France and the UK have jointly launched a “Strait of Hormuz maritime navigation initiative”. On 17 April, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer co-chaired a conference that brought together some 50 states which committed to the freedom and security of navigation in the Strait and to work towards restoring it through a strictly defensive multinational mission, when security conditions allow. Earlier this week, the UK hosted military planners from several countries to develop plans for such a mission.
