The co-sponsors highlighted recent incidents, including Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and illegal fishing
In a significant development at the 112th session of the International Maritime Organisation’s Legal Committee (LEG), Belgium, Colombia, Ecuador, India, and Peru jointly proposed the inclusion of maritime security threats in the organisation’s six-year strategic plan for 2024–2029. This move highlights the growing need to address an array of challenges threatening international shipping and trade.
The co-sponsors outlined that maritime security threats include terrorism, human and drug trafficking, cybersecurity risks, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and activities causing environmental damage. However, they noted a critical gap in LEG’s scope, which currently focuses on piracy and armed robbery at sea, leaving other pressing legal issues related to maritime security unaddressed.
“Given IMO’s crucial role in addressing maritime security threats and the severity of their impact, including the proposed output is urgent, imminent and critical for the sustenance of international shipping and trade,” the co-sponsors stated.
The proposal emphasised that integrating security threats into the strategic plan would enable governments to share information, thereby addressing issues such as organised crime more effectively. The co-sponsors also stressed the importance of adopting a forward-looking approach to prepare for unforeseen risks.
“Maritime security threats should be addressed from all possible angles, [so] the work in this committee can reinforce the technical work in other committees of the organisation,” the submission stated.
The co-sponsors highlighted recent incidents, including Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and illegal fishing, underscoring their broader implications, such as contributing to land-based crimes. They also pointed to the legal and financial complexities stemming from these threats, which disproportionately burden vulnerable seafarers and impacted states.
Gap In Crisis Response Capabilities
The challenges in responding to maritime crises were further underscored by the 135-day international operation to salvage the fire-ravaged tanker *Sounion*. While the operation succeeded in averting an environmental disaster, it exposed significant gaps in the shipping industry’s crisis response capabilities.
These deficiencies, the co-sponsors argued, underline the need for international mechanisms to address the legal implications of maritime security threats. Without such mechanisms, they warned, the repercussions could extend beyond trade and commerce, endangering lives at sea and the marine environment.
“Therefore, lack of international mechanisms to address their legal implications are not just severe for international shipping, trade and commerce but they are averse to life at sea and the marine environment,” the co-sponsors said.
Call For Immediate Action
The co-sponsors’ submission urged LEG to comprehensively address the varied legal challenges posed by contemporary maritime threats. By doing so, they argued, the committee could strengthen the international maritime sector’s resilience and ensure its sustainability in an increasingly complex security landscape.
With the proposal receiving significant attention, the focus now shifts to whether IMO’s strategic plan for 2024–2029 will adopt these urgent measures to safeguard the future of international shipping and trade.
