Jaishankar Slams Shipping Attacks As India, Liberia Launch Global Maritime Group At UNGA

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said attacks on commercial shipping were “legally and morally indefensible”, as India and Liberia launched a new Group of Friends on the Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

“Put simply, these attacks must stop,” Jaishankar said while briefing reporters alongside Liberia’s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti.

He added that recent attacks had occurred across key maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf, the Red Sea and the Black Sea, and said there could be “no justification” for the violence and loss of life.

New Maritime Group

India and Liberia will serve as co-chairs of the new group, which Jaishankar described as an inclusive, voluntary and action-oriented platform.

The first meeting was attended by 25 countries, he said. The group will bring together states with an interest in maritime security as well as major ship-owning countries, with the aim of sharing experiences, strengthening practical cooperation and raising the issue through international forums.

The group would work through existing international frameworks and engage with institutions including the United Nations, the International Maritime Organization and the International Labour Organization.

Seafarers Under Pressure

Jaishankar highlighted the impact of maritime insecurity on the estimated two million seafarers working across the global merchant fleet.

He explained that seafarers were facing prolonged confinement on board ships, delays in crew changes and repatriation, separation from their families and psychological distress, in addition to physical attacks.

The minister said the issue had wider economic significance because maritime shipping accounts for four-fifths of global trade. He said the value of that trade was $35 trillion last year.

India, Liberia Lead

Jaishankar said India was taking the initiative in partnership with Liberia because India is a major source country for seafarers, while Liberia has the world’s largest shipping registry by tonnage.

The two countries brought together other states and major ship owners for the first meeting in New York, he said.

The group will meet regularly, with India and Liberia expected to finalise its detailed structure through consultations based on the views raised at the first meeting.

Jaishankar said the initiative was intended to strengthen the international response to threats facing shipping and seafarers at a time of wider conflict and insecurity.

He said attacks on maritime trade had implications beyond individual vessels because shipping carries essential goods, including food, fuel, fertiliser and other supplies.

The initiative, he added, was intended to strengthen confidence and stability in international shipping and ensure that the global community does not remain a “spectator” or “victim” of violence at sea.