The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has cautioned that ongoing attacks on commercial vessels in conflict zones present a significant threat to global supply chains, maritime safety, and the security of seafarers.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez raised these concerns during an IMO Council meeting focused on evaluating persistent security threats to international shipping and the necessity of protecting navigational rights and freedoms.
Dominguez denounced recent attacks on civilian merchant ships operating within the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, labeling them as dangerous and unacceptable for global trade.
“I deplore the series of attacks over the past week against civilian merchant ships operating in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea,” he said.
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The IMO chief noted that while international attention has recently centered on developments near the Strait of Hormuz, seafarers continue to encounter substantial security risks in various other regions.
“While recent events have focused international attention on the situation in and around the Strait of Hormuz, we must not lose sight of the fact that seafarers continue to face serious threats in other parts of the world,” he stated.
Dominguez emphasized that targeting civilian merchant vessels endangers seafarers’ lives, disrupts international trade, and undermines the stability of the global maritime system.
“I condemn all unwarranted attacks on civilian merchant vessels arising from geopolitical conflicts, wherever they occur. Such acts endanger seafarers, threaten the safety of navigation, disrupt global supply chains and undermine the principles upon which international shipping depends,” he said.
He urged all parties engaged in armed conflicts to avoid actions that jeopardize innocent merchant shipping and the marine environment, while calling for strict adherence to international law.
“I call on all parties involved in conflicts to refrain from any action that endangers innocent merchant shipping or the marine environment, to respect international law, and to ensure the protection of seafarers.”
The Secretary-General further stressed that seafarers should never suffer the consequences of conflicts in which they are not participants.
“Seafarers should never become casualties of conflicts to which they are not a party. Every seafarer, wherever they serve, deserves to work in safety and security,” Dominguez added.
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The IMO has consistently advocated for the protection of commercial shipping, freedom of navigation, and seafarer safety, warning that continuous attacks on merchant vessels could have profound implications for international trade and the global economy.
