The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted a Singapore-led resolution on the protection of vital shipping lanes at the 137th Session of the IMO Council.
Co-sponsored by 30 member states, including Indonesia and Malaysia, the resolution reaffirms the importance of upholding and respecting navigational rights and freedoms for commercial ships transiting vital shipping lanes, including straits used for international navigation, in accordance with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
It also reaffirms the importance of abiding by the regulations and standards adopted by the IMO.
The resolution highlights the IMO’s role in promoting a stable, predictable and rules-based maritime order, underscoring the importance of international cooperation, dialogue and collective responsibility in keeping vital sea lanes open, secure and accessible.
It further stresses the importance of safeguarding the safety, health and well-being of seafarers, who it describes as playing an indispensable role in global supply chains.
READ: IMO condemns new wave of attacks in Strait of Hormuz
Singapore, an open and trade-dependent economy, said the resolution reflects its longstanding commitment to upholding international law and safeguarding an open, stable and predictable maritime environment.
The country said it supports a stable, rules-based international order to ensure uninterrupted global trade, resilient supply chains, and food and energy security.
The resolution arrives against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny of chokepoints critical to global trade, from the Strait of Malacca to the Red Sea, where security incidents in recent years have prompted shipping lines to reroute vessels and reassess risk across key transit corridors.
By securing broad co-sponsorship across 30 member states, Singapore and its partners are signalling an effort to consolidate multilateral support for freedom of navigation principles at a time when unilateral actions and regional tensions have periodically disrupted transit through several of the world’s busiest waterways.
For more information:
International Maritime Organization – https://www.imo.org/en
