India calls for action to protect sea lanes
Greater international cooperation to protect commercial vessels and ensure uninterrupted global trade, urged India.
Harish Parvathaneni, Permanent Representative of India, United Nations
India has called for stronger international cooperation to safeguard global maritime routes, protect seafarers and ensure uninterrupted movement of commercial and humanitarian cargo amid growing security risks at key shipping chokepoints.
Addressing a UN Security Council Arria-formula meeting on September 17, titled “Safe Seas, Shared Security: Protecting Freedom of Navigation in an Evolving Security Environment,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said recent disruptions to major maritime routes had highlighted the importance of maritime security to international peace, global trade, energy and food security. The meeting was convened by Bahrain.
India reiterated its support for a free, open, secure and rules-based maritime domain, stressing that freedom of navigation and overflight must be respected in accordance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Parvathaneni said, “Commercial vessels must not become targets of geopolitical tensions. Navigational rights must not be subjected to coercion, threats, unlawful restrictions or arbitrary interference.”
India highlighted the wider economic impact of maritime disruptions, noting that insecurity at one chokepoint can divert pressure onto alternative routes, increase freight and insurance costs and disrupt energy and food supplies. It called for practical international arrangements to maintain the movement of essential commercial and humanitarian supplies during crises.
India also outlined its contribution to maritime security operations. As of September 14, 2026, operations in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea had supported the safe transit of more than 449 merchant vessels carrying nearly 20.3 million metric tonnes of cargo and oil, valued at more than $8.4 billion, according to the Indian statement.
The statement also highlighted Operation Urja Suraksha, launched following the deterioration of the security situation in West Asia and also called for stronger coordination among existing maritime-security mechanisms and highlighted the role of the Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in improving maritime domain awareness.
India said the objective should extend beyond restoring navigation after a crisis to building a maritime system capable of absorbing disruptions before they trigger wider economic and humanitarian consequences.
