Jaishankar at UNGA: India backs peace, warns against weaponisation of trade, technology and finance

By Deepak Arora

UNITED NATIONS: India on Saturday called for a stronger and more predictable international order, warning that conflicts, terrorism and the growing weaponisation of finance, technology, trade and supply chains are deepening instability across the world. Addressing the high-level debate of the 81st UN General Assembly, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the United Nations was entering its ninth decade at a time when conflicts and confrontations had become the world's primary concern. He said the consequences were being felt far beyond the countries directly involved in wars....more

India, Liberia join forces at UN to protect ships, seafarers as attacks mount

By Deepak Arora

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 25: India and Liberia have joined forces at the United Nations to protect commercial shipping and the nearly two million seafarers who keep global trade moving, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti jointly addressing the media on Friday on a new international maritime safety initiative.

Speaking at a press conference following the inaugural meeting of the Group of Friends on the Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers, Jaishankar warned that attacks on commercial vessels and merchant mariners across some of the world's most important waterways were unacceptable and must end.

"Put simply, these attacks must stop," Jaishankar said, as he and Nyanti outlined the new initiative on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly high-level week.

The first meeting of the Group of Friends brought together 25 countries, including nations with major seafarer populations and major ship-owning interests. India and Liberia will serve as co-chairs of the new group.

The initiative comes amid attacks and security threats affecting commercial shipping from the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf to the Red Sea and Black Sea. Jaishankar said there could be no justification for violence against merchant vessels or the loss of seafarers' lives.

For India, the issue carries particular weight. India is a major source of seafarers serving aboard merchant ships around the world, while Liberia operates the world's largest shipping registry by tonnage.

The partnership brings together two countries with a direct stake in the safety of the global maritime industry.

Maritime shipping carries roughly four-fifths of global trade. Jaishankar said the value of that trade reached $35 trillion last year, highlighting the potential economic consequences when major shipping routes are disrupted.

But the Indian initiative is also aimed at putting the spotlight on the people who operate those ships.

Nearly two million seafarers work aboard the world's merchant fleet. Many spend months at sea, separated from their families and exposed to difficult working conditions.

Recent conflicts and disruptions have added to those pressures, including prolonged confinement aboard vessels, delays in crew changes and repatriation, separation from families and psychological distress.

Some seafarers have also faced direct physical attacks.

"These have occurred from the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf, to the Red Sea and Black Sea," Jaishankar said. "We believe that there can be no justification for such violence and loss of lives."

The Group of Friends will function as an inclusive, voluntary and action-oriented platform. Its members will exchange views, share experiences and work towards practical cooperation on the safety and security of shipping and seafarers.

The group will also seek to strengthen existing international frameworks rather than duplicate them. Members will raise issues through multilateral and plurilateral forums, including the United Nations, the International Maritime Organization and the International Labour Organization.

Jaishankar said the objective was to strengthen the collective voice of participating countries and advance issues of common interest.

India's role as a major source of seafarers gives the initiative a strong Indian dimension. Large numbers of Indian maritime workers serve international shipping companies, often spending long periods away from home and in waters increasingly affected by geopolitical tensions.

Liberia's role is equally significant because of its vast shipping registry.

The two countries will hold regular meetings of the group and develop its detailed structure through consultations with participating nations.

Jaishankar placed the initiative against the backdrop of growing international conflicts and confrontations.

"The world is today beset by conflicts and confrontations," he said, warning that instability was threatening basic needs including food, fuel, fertilizer and finance, which he referred to as the "4Fs."

Disruptions to shipping can quickly affect all four. Delays or restrictions along major maritime routes can raise transportation costs, disrupt supply chains and affect the movement of food, energy and other essential commodities.

Jaishankar said the new group was intended to contribute to stability and confidence at a time of growing uncertainty.

"Our initiative is meant to add to the factors of stability and confidence in what is otherwise an uncertain and turbulent world," he said.

He also made clear that the international community should not remain a passive observer when commercial vessels and their crews come under attack.

"The international community cannot just be a spectator or indeed a victim of violence," Jaishankar said.

The launch of the Group of Friends puts India and Liberia at the centre of a new diplomatic effort focused on a critical part of the global economy.

For Indian seafarers working thousands of miles from home, and for the ships carrying food, fuel and manufactured goods across the world's oceans, the initiative is aimed at making maritime security a bigger international priority.

The message from the joint India-Liberia appearance at the UN was clear: protecting seafarers and keeping commercial shipping safe are increasingly tied to global economic stability and security.