Global maritime security and rising risks to key sea lanes dominated a UN Security Council debate, where Pakistan warned that disruptions to waterways are increasingly threatening global trade, energy flows and economic stability. Pakistan\u2019s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, expressed the country’s stance while addressing the High-Level Open Debate on \u201cThe Safety and Protection of Waterways in the Maritime Domain”. Ahmad also underscored the strategic importance of maritime security for international peace and development. \u201cI wish to congratulate the Kingdom of Bahrain for its successful Presidency this month and for organising today\u2019s high-level open debate. Your presence attests to the importance attached by the Kingdom to global maritime security, which is crucial for the two objectives of international peace and security, and development,\u201d he said, addressing the UN forum. \u201cAllow me to take this opportunity to express Pakistan\u2019s complete support and solidarity with all brotherly countries of the Gulf region and to their sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence,\u201d he asserted. The ambassador then acknowledged the UN leadership and briefers. \u201cI thank Secretary-General Guterres for his insightful remarks, in particular the emphasis he has placed on respect for international law, dialogue and cooperation, and peaceful settlement of disputes,\u201d the envoy told the council. \u201cWe also appreciate the briefing by Mr Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and Mr Nick Childs for his expert views on the subject,\u201d he said. Turning to the broader strategic picture, the envoy said global maritime spaces have become a defining arena of 21st-century geopolitics. \u201cGlobal maritime spaces are a key geostrategic arena where the challenges of the 21st century intersect. They are the lifeline of global commerce, bellwether of earth\u2019s environment, and home to a vast array of marine biological and mineral resources,\u201d according to Ahmad. \u201cPropelled by the onward march of economic globalisation and rapid improvement in transportation and connectivity infrastructure, global commerce and trade are now more reliant on sea-borne trade than ever before,\u201d he informed the members. \u201cAny disruptions to the routine traffic at sea gravely impact international trade with negative repercussions for the global economy, and breed volatility that imperils international peace and security,\u201d Ahmad said. \u201cClosure of the Strait of Hormuz and its cascading effects on food and energy security, and supply-chain disruption is a case in point,\u201d he said. \u201cIf the crisis persists, the first order impacts issues related to the procurement of oil and gas, and essential commodities such as fertilisers and their pricing trends, will increasingly translate into second and third order impacts on inflation, growth, current account and balance of payment issues \u2014 no doubt, developing countries will be most affected.” \u201cMost significantly, these developments have brought home the point that resilience of global governance architecture and strategic stability are now being tested by the safety and openness of maritime waterways,\u201d he said stressed. Ahmad said Pakistan, as a littoral state, is directly exposed to these risks. \u201cAs a littoral state of the Indian Ocean Region with proximity to global maritime chokepoints and overwhelming reliance on sea-borne trade, Pakistan is fully cognizant of the paramount importance of safety and protection of global waterways.” \u201cLike many developing countries from the region and beyond, Pakistan is concerned and directly impacted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.” He then highlighted Pakistan\u2019s diplomatic role in regional de-escalation efforts. \u201cPakistan, supported by brotherly countries including China, Saudi Arabia, T\u00fcrkiye and Egypt, has spearheaded constructive diplomatic efforts for de-escalation and the broader pursuit of stability between the United States and Iran,\u201d the ambassador added. \u201cPakistan remains firm in its faith in diplomacy and dialogue, and will continue to resolutely undertake all possible measures towards that end.” He expanded the scope of maritime security beyond trade and piracy. \u201cIn today\u2019s interconnected world, the imperative of safety of maritime spaces extends well beyond securing trade routes and combating piracy; it encompasses a plethora of challenges, including climate change and environmental preservation, protection of critical coastal and underwater digital infrastructure, and safeguarding human rights at sea,\u201d Pakistan’s envoy to the UN said. \u201cConfronting these challenges necessitates collective and coordinated action firmly anchored in international law as well as dialogue and diplomacy.” \u201cSince its adoption, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has served as one of the most important pillars of international maritime order.” He also outlined Pakistan\u2019s operational contributions to maritime security. \u201cPakistan has also remained a committed and responsible partner in international efforts to strengthen maritime security,\u201d Ahmad said. \u201cEarlier this year, Pakistan assumed the command of Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) for conducting Maritime Security Operations outside the Arabian Gulf to protect commercial shipping.” \u201cLast year, Pakistan also commanded CTF-151 tasked to suppress piracy and to ensure free flow of maritime trade,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have also launched our own Regional Maritime Security Patrols (RMSP) to ensure a safe and secure environment in the seas.” He warned that the global governance system itself is under strain. \u201cThe global governance order is coming under increasing strain with wide-ranging consequences,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cEven international waterways have not been able to escape these impacts.” \u201cThe rules and norms that we had collectively and painstakingly put in place to precisely avoid such contestations and confrontations, are being challenged or set aside,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is an untenable situation whose prolongation would only further undermine international peace and security, and development, to the detriment of us all,” Ahmad said and added, \u201cMost consequentially, it will erode trust in the rules-based order.” He concluded with a call for collective responsibility and sustained diplomacy. \u201cAs a maritime state with unwavering faith in international law and diplomacy, Pakistan would continue to engage with the Secretary General, the Security Council and with all like-minded countries for preserving the hard-won gains \u2014 both in the gentle tides of peace and amity, and amid the rising storms of conflict and conflagration.” \u201cThis is a sacred trust that history has placed upon us, and we cannot afford to fail. We must succeed, together,\u201d Ambassador Ahmad said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Global maritime security…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9028,"comment_status":"registered_only","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jeetnews.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jeetnews.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jeetnews.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jeetnews.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jeetnews.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jeetnews.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9027\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jeetnews.pk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jeetnews.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jeetnews.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jeetnews.pk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}