EU Statement – UN Security Council Arria formula meeting: Protection of Seafarers

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Georgia align themselves with this statement.

Thank you to the organizers of this meeting, Greece, India and the Philippines, and the cosponsors Denmark, Japan, Panama and Romania, for convening this timely debate.

A safe and secure maritime domain grounded in international law, including human rights law, is essential for global peace and sustainable development.

International law – with the UN Charter at its core – must be upheld both on land and at sea. The EU and its Member States are strongly committed to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which sets out the universal and unified legal framework within which all activities in oceans and seas must be carried out. Upholding UNCLOS is crucial to ensuring peaceful maritime interactions and equitable resource management among nations. An effective enforcement of its provisions by every state strengthens global maritime governance, contributes to mitigating disputes and fosters peaceful international relations.

Chair,

The EU aims to address maritime security in its complexity. The EU’s revised maritime security strategy and action plan provides it with a wide range of effective tools at its disposal to address multiple challenges that include:

• new and evolving maritime security threats and challenges, including growing competition for power and resources in the sea basins around the EU and beyond.

• the nexus between climate change, degradation of the marine environment and maritime security. 

On 5 June, the European Commission adopted the European Ocean Pact, which brings together relevant EU policies and actions, including maritime security and defence, ocean diplomacy and international ocean governance. Our Pact for the Mediterranean – One Sea, One Pact, One Future adopted on 16 October 2025, aims at advancing cooperation on maritime security, preparedness and migration management. The New EU strategy for secure, prosperous and resilient Black Sea region adopted on 28 May 2025 fosters security, stability, and resilience. 

The EU as global maritime security provider continues contributing to the safety and security of ships and seafarers and maintaining global supply chains in regions such as the Red Sea, the Gulf of Guinea, the Horn of Africa and the Black Sea. EU Naval Force IRINI helps enforce the UN arms embargo on Libya. Operation ASPIDES protects ships and seafarers from attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea. EU Naval Force ATALANTA protects ships and seafarers against piracy and armed robbery in the Western Indian Ocean. Earlier this month, Operation ATALANTA rescued the crew of MV Hellas Aphrodite after the ship was boarded by pirates off the coast of Somalia. In addition, the naval vessels of the EU Coordinated Maritime Presences protect seafarers from piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Aden. 

We all need to continue strengthening our efforts to address the challenges posed by sub-standard vessels and the “shadow fleet”, including threats to the marine environment, maritime safety and security, critical infrastructure and international maritime law and standards. International Maritime Organization (IMO) Resolution A.1192 (33) against the “shadow fleet” provides an important framework for engagement with the international maritime community. 

Ensuring safety at sea also includes promoting decent working conditions worldwide. The fishing and seafaring sectors are characterised by some of the most challenging, hazardous and high-risk working conditions. The number of fatalities and injuries remains unacceptably high. Migrant workers are vulnerable to precarious employment and health and safety conditions, forced labour, harassment, abusive practices, and unequal treatment.

Existing international standards for working conditions and labour rights, including the prohibition of child labour, should be effectively promoted and implemented to ensure safety at sea for everyone. 

The promotion of broader ratification and effective implementation of the 2006 International Labour Organization (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention, as amended, is of key importance. 

Human rights must be upheld and decent working conditions in fisheries should be ensured for all. The EU will continue promoting the ratification and effective implementation of the ILO Work in Fishing Convention No. 188, and other relevant international standards, particularly those established in the ILO fundamental Conventions. 

Together with ILO, the EU has developed projects to create better working conditions for sea workers, such as the EU-funded Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia in Malaysia, aiming to protect migrant workers in Malaysia’s fish and seafood supply chains. 

Finally, the EU and its Member States are at the forefront of improving maritime safety legislation in accordance with the 2025 Pact for European Social Dialogue. The aim is to eliminate substandard shipping, increase the protection of passengers and crews, reduce the risk of environmental pollution, and ensure that operators who follow good practices are not put at a commercial disadvantage compared to those prepared to take short cuts with vessel safety. 

Thank you.
 

*North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.