UN Warns Of Decisive Action Against Maritime Piracy "Before It's Too Late"

The United Nations and experts have issued urgent warnings about escalating threats to global trade due to maritime security challenges. Attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, disruptions in the Black Sea, and climate-induced issues in the Panama Canal have severely impacted key shipping routes. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged world powers to uphold maritime law and overcome rivalries, warning that threats like piracy, terrorism, and cyberattacks endanger global trade, ecosystems, and peace. He emphasised the need for cooperation to protect oceans and seas from escalating pressures and dangers.

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A surge in piracy – up 47.5% in early 2025 – is threatening global trade and security
UN chief urges world leaders to take decisive action before its too late, “without maritime security, there can be no global security”https://t.co/FM4H7fpMDq pic.twitter.com/irhQkNyELH

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"From time immemorial, maritime routes have bound the world together. But maritime spaces are increasingly under strain... And without maritime security, there can be no global security," he said, addressing a high-level debate of the Security Council. 

The Secretary-General pointed to a sharp spike in piracy and armed robbery at sea in early 2025, citing International Maritime Organisation (IMO) figures showing a 47.5 per cent increase in reported incidents compared to the same period last year.

The rise was most pronounced in Asia, especially in the busy Straits of Malacca and Singapore.

He also highlighted continued attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by Houthi forces, disruptions in the Black Sea, and growing criminal networks trafficking drugs and people across the Gulf of Guinea, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.

A 90-day countdown to collapse

Melina Travlos, President of the Union of Greek Shipowners, delivered a stark warning to council members: if the global shipping system grinds to a halt, the world economy will collapse in just 90 days.

She described shipping as "the silent guardian of global welfare", noting that 90 per cent of international trade and more than 12 billion tonnes of goods depend on maritime transport each year.

"Shipping unites the world, not occasionally, but consistently," she said, calling for greater protection of seafarers and maritime infrastructure amid increasing and more complex threats.