Thomas A. Kazakos, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), addressed the United Nations Security Council in New York on 17 September.
He warned of the critical importance of protecting maritime security, freedom of navigation and the international legal framework governing the world’s oceans.
The ICS was invited to brief an Arria-Formula meeting of the Security Council, convened by the Kingdom of Bahrain and chaired by Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani, Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, examining the deteriorating maritime security environment amid heightened geopolitical tensions, with particular focus on the Persian Gulf.
Representing the international shipping industry, Kazakos set out the profound consequences insecurity at sea has for seafarers, ships, global trade and the wider international economy, stressing that ships must be able to navigate international waterways safely, predictably and without unnecessary impediment. “Shipping must not be held to ransom,” he said.
On the Strait of Hormuz, Kazakos underlined its significance as one of the world’s most critical arteries of commerce, carrying around a quarter of global seaborne oil trade alongside significant LNG and fertiliser volumes, calling the ongoing disruption there “extraordinary.”
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The ICS argued that commercial vessels and their crews must not become collateral to wider political or military disputes, and that established international rules governing navigation must be upheld regardless of shifting tensions.
“This is not a privilege to be granted or withdrawn according to the political circumstances of the day,” Kazakos said.
He also highlighted the human cost of the deteriorating security environment, pointing out that seafarers transporting food, energy, medicines and other essential goods are civilians with no stake in geopolitical conflicts, and that their welfare must remain paramount.
Closing his address, Kazakos called for a return to freedom of navigation, reaffirming that international straits must not become toll roads and that merchant ships and seafarers must not be held to ransom.
He thanked the Kingdom of Bahrain and Dr Al Zayani for the invitation, adding that the ICS remains committed to working with governments and international bodies to strengthen maritime security and protect the principles underpinning global trade.
For more information:
International Chamber of Shipping – https://www.ics-shipping.org/
