Thank you Mr President,

Thank you to the briefers for your valuable input.

Thank you for convening this meeting today because indeed: our maritime security requires our collective attention.

Freedom of the seas is a lifeline of our interconnected global economy. Others have said so, but I would like to underline: Maritime disruptions have devastating consequences on trade, food and energy security and stability that reach far beyond the region.

The conflicts in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Black Sea are testimony to this and they underline: the Law of the Sea needs to be upheld. Maritime security must be based on international law and on the principles of navigational rights and freedom.

By threatening and attacking international commercial shipping, Iran is violating international law, just as the Houthis are doing in the Bab al-Mandab. With its shadow fleet, Russia continues to misuse the right of peaceful transit to attack sea cables, to engage in espionage, and risk massive accidents and environmental damage.

So what are we to do in light of these conflicts? A few points:

1. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provides the international legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas - and we need to uphold and strengthen it.
2. We need to restore and preserve navigational rights and freedom in the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandab, and elsewhere.
3. We need both effective protection for ships and seafarers and we need accountability for attacks when they happen and for unlawful interference with commercial shipping in order to prevent chokepoints being used as leverage against our economies.
4. These conflicts also remind us to strengthen early warning and coordination among States, the UN, regional organizations and the maritime industry.

And I think all of us can do things concretely and we need to think about what we can do. Just as examples:

Germany is fully committed to strengthening maritime security. Through EU Naval Force mission ASPIDES, we contribute to the protection of international shipping in the Red Sea and adjacent waters. Through the missions Med IRINI and UNIFIL, we support maritime security in the Mediterranean in line with UNSC resolutions.

And we support the EU’s initiative on the protection of critical maritime infrastructure that has been launched by HRVP Kallas at the EU—Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum last year.

We also support a number of regional initiatives, in particular through the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea platform and in cooperation with IMO and UNITAR.

Just to mention that there are ways to secure our waterways, to strengthen maritime security if we act collectively. And I want to assure you that Germany will remain a steady contributor, substantially and concretely to maritime security.

Thank you.