Secretary-General's Remarks to Security Council on Maritime Security

27 April 2026

New York UN

Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council - on Maritime Security

Statements | António Guterres, Secretary-General

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I thank the Presidency of Bahrain for convening this open debate at a moment when the safety of the world’s waterways has become a test of the international order itself.

For centuries, maritime routes have been the arteries of global trade.

Carrying goods, energy, and ideas across continents.

Connecting societies, economies, and cultures.

Today, those arteries are under strain.

Piracy, armed robbery at sea, and acts of terror against shipping and critical maritime infrastructure continue to threaten international peace and security.

Geopolitical tensions are spilling into the waters.

Merchant shipping is being used as a tool of pressure.

And navigational rights and freedoms – bedrock principles of the Law of the Sea – are being undermined.

Mr. President,

No country can address these challenges alone.

Maritime security threats touch every port, every coastline, and every country – even landlocked ones.

They demand collective responses.

Yet war and deepening divisions are shaking the collective security system.

Trust is eroding.

International law is being violated – in plain sight.

And the institutions built to keep peace are being tested at their core.

Mr. President,

Since early March, the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has struck at global energy security, food supplies, and trade.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints.

It carries roughly one fifth of global oil trade, one fifth of global liquefied natural gas, and nearly one third of internationally traded fertilizers.

Safe, unimpeded passage is an economic and humanitarian imperative.

The economic shock has been immediate – and everyone is paying the price.

Acute volatility in energy and commodity markets.

Surging transport and insurance costs.

And the worst supply chain disruption since COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine.

These pressures are cascading into empty fuel tanks, empty shelves – and empty plates.

The humanitarian toll is mounting.

Delays and rising costs are slowing lifesaving deliveries to people who cannot wait.

This crisis coincides with critical planting seasons.

Prolonged disruption risks triggering a global food emergency – pushing millions, especially in Africa and South Asia, into hunger and poverty.

The burden falls heaviest on Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.

Nations most dependent on maritime imports, and least able to absorb a shock they did nothing to cause.

Mr. President,

Behind the cargo figures and the price surges are people.

More than 20,000 seafarers remain stranded at sea.

Over 2,000 commercial vessels are caught in a web of risks and restrictions to navigation.

These men and women are not parties to any conflict.

They are civilian workers keeping the world supplied.

Their safety, their well-being, and their rights must be protected – at all times, and in all waters.

I urge Member States to support the emergency evacuation framework prepared by the International Maritime Organization:

A coordinated plan to ensure the safe movement, assistance, and protection of affected crews in full accordance with international law.

Mr. President,

The Charter's prohibition of the threat or use of force applies fully at sea.

Navigational rights and freedoms through the Strait of Hormuz must be respected – as affirmed by this Council’s Resolution 2817.

These principles must be upheld – in full, and without delay.

I appeal to the parties:

Open the Strait.

Let ships pass. No tolls. No discrimination.

Let trade resume.

Let the global economy breathe.

Mr. President,

This moment calls for restraint, dialogue, and confidence-building.

The way forward is through peaceful settlement – drawing on Articles 33 and 34 of Chapter VI of the UN Charter.

My good offices remain available to support Member States in finding common ground.

My Special Representatives and Envoys are working closely with national and regional partners to help resolve disputes.

The Black Sea Initiative showed that even amid conflict, practical cooperation can reopen a blocked corridor – and keep ships and essential products moving.

The United Nations can help develop a similar effort – based on consent – by convening, coordinating, and implementing arrangements between parties.

It is possible – when there is political will.

Mr. President,

Moments of crisis are moments of choice.

Last year at this Council’s open debate on maritime security, I called for action around three pillars.

The current crisis makes them more urgent than ever.

First, respect for international law.

The Charter and the Law of the Sea are only as strong as Member States' commitment to uphold them.

At sea as on land, the force of law must always prevail over the law of force.

Second, addressing root causes – investing in coastal livelihoods, governance, capacity‑building, and ocean health.

Insecurity at sea begins on land.

Third, deepening dialogue and cooperation – among States, regional organizations, the shipping industry, insurers, port operators, and civil society.

To enhance maritime domain awareness.

To protect seafarers and other maritime workers.

And to keep international waterways open, lawful, and secure.

The ocean must be a zone of peace and cooperation – not confrontation or coercion.

This is our moment to choose – and act.

Thank you.

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