The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has warned that continued attacks on commercial vessels in conflict zones pose a serious threat to global supply chains, maritime safety and the security of seafarers.
IMO Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, made the remark in a statement issued as the IMO Council reviewed the persistent security threats facing international shipping and the need to uphold navigational rights and freedoms.
Dominguez condemned the recent attacks on civilian merchant ships operating in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, describing them as unacceptable and dangerous to 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.
The IMO chief noted that although recent international attention has focused on developments around the Strait of Hormuz, seafarers continue to face significant security risks in other regions of the world.
“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 stressed that attacks on civilian merchant vessels not only endanger the lives of seafarers but also disrupt international trade and undermine 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 involved in armed conflicts to refrain from actions that jeopardise 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 emphasised that seafarers should never bear the consequences of conflicts in which they have no involvement.
“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.
The IMO has consistently advocated for the protection of commercial shipping, freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers, warning that persistent attacks on merchant vessels could have far-reaching implications for international trade and the global economy.
