At UN, India calls maritime, anti-terror strategy vital to national security amid Indo-Pacific shifts

United Nations: India told the UN Security Council that it views maritime security and countering terrorism as central to its national security and economic interests as it continues to evolve its strategy in response to new threats and geopolitical shifts in the Indo-Pacific region.

“India, having a long coastline, extensive seafarer community, and capable maritime forces, is actively pursuing its role as a responsible maritime power to safeguard its interests and address emerging threats,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said Tuesday.

He was addressing the UNSC high-level open debate on ‘Maintenance of international peace and security: Strengthening Maritime Security through International Cooperation for Global Stability’ presided over by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis under Greece’s Presidency of the Council for the month of May.

"India views maritime security and countering terrorism as central to its national security and economic interests. Its approach balances robust defence capabilities, regional diplomacy, international cooperation and domestic infrastructure development. It continues to evolve its strategy in response to new threats and geopolitical shifts in the Indo-Pacific region,” Harish said.

India underlined that maritime security is a cornerstone of economic growth as critical trade routes, energy supplies, and geopolitical interests are tied to the oceans.

Harish said that India's maritime security strategy is broad and multifaceted, addressing both traditional threats from state actors and non-traditional threats from piracy, contraband smuggling, illegal human migration, unreported and unregulated fishing, maritime incidents, hybrid threats and maritime terrorism.

He further said that India is committed to promoting a free, open and rules-based maritime order in accordance with the principles of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Furthering this objective, India is undertaking capacity-building efforts to tackle contemporary security challenges and strengthen maritime combat, strategy, and governance, he said.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, addressing the high-level debate, said the discussion underscores that the basic condition to preserve maritime security is the respect by all countries of the UN Charter and international law as reflected in UNCLOS.

Guterres said that over the years, the Security Council has sought to address a range of threats that undermine maritime security and global peace - from piracy, armed robbery, trafficking and organised crime to destructive acts against shipping, offshore installations and critical infrastructure and terrorism in the maritime domain. These, he said, pose significant threats to international security, global trade and economic stability.

Voicing concern that no region is spared, Guterres said the problem is getting worse. He said that after a modest global decrease in reported piracy and armed robbery incidents in 2024, the first quarter of 2025 saw a sharp upward reversal.

According to the International Maritime Organisation, reported incidents rose by nearly half, 47.5 per cent, compared to the same period in 2024.

Guterres noted that incidents in Asia nearly doubled, especially in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, attacks by the Houthis on commercial vessels have disrupted global trade and increased tensions in an already volatile region. The Gulf of Aden and the Mediterranean Sea “remain treacherously active routes” for migrant smuggling and the trafficking of weapons and human beings.

Heroin from Afghanistan continues to reach East Africa through the Indian Ocean. Cocaine moves through the coasts of the Western Hemisphere and across the Atlantic Ocean to West Africa and European ports.

“Cyber-attacks are a fast-emerging security threat for ports and shipping companies. Facing these and other threats, the world’s maritime routes and the people depending on them are sending a clear SOS,” Guterres said.

Harish told the Council that over the last year, in response to shipping attacks and rising incidents of piracy in the Western Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy deployed more than 35 ships in the region, carried out more than 1,000 boarding operations and has responded to over 30 incidents.

The credible and swift actions of the Indian Navy saved more than 520 lives, irrespective of the nationality of the crew, he said.

The Indian Navy safely escorted over 312 merchant vessels, carrying over 11.9 million metric tonnes of cargo, valued at more than 5.3 billion dollars, he said, adding that India also actively engages in SAR (Search and Rescue) and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), especially in the Indian Ocean Region.

Harish recalled that the importance of maritime security was highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the first ever open debate on the topic held during India’s Presidency of the Security Council in August 2021.

He reiterated the five basic principles that indicate the holistic manner of India’s approach to maritime security - removal of barriers from legitimate maritime trade; peaceful settlement of disputes as per international law; jointly addressing natural disasters and maritime threats created by non-state actors; preservation of the marine environment and resources and encouragement of responsible maritime connectivity.

India believes that States should resolve disputes in the maritime security domain through peaceful means, including by adhering to pronouncements of international institutions that are established by a rules-based framework, Harish said, adding that inclusiveness and cooperation are key principles of India’s maritime approach.