UNITED NATIONS, May 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday stressed the need to intensify efforts to address the root causes of maritime insecurity.
"Threats to maritime security cannot be addressed without also addressing issues like poverty, a lack of alternative livelihoods, insecurity, and weak governance structures," he told a Security Council open debate.
"Across the United Nations family, we're working with impoverished coastal communities to develop new opportunities for decent and sustainable work. Collectively, we must do more to reduce the likelihood that desperate people will turn to crime and other activities that threaten maritime security and degrade our ocean environment," said Guterres.
He also highlighted the need to help developing countries build their capacity to deal with these threats through technology, training, capacity-building, judicial reforms, and modernized naval forces, marine police units, maritime surveillance and port security.
Guterres said respect for international law is the anchor of maritime security.
The international legal regime for maritime security, with the UN Charter and the Convention on the Law of the Sea at its core, strikes a careful balance between states' sovereign rights, jurisdictions and freedoms, and their duties and obligations. And it provides a strong cooperative framework for addressing crimes at sea and ensuring accountability, he said.
But the UN chief warned that this framework is only as strong as states' commitment to full and effective implementation. "All states must live up to their obligations. And they must resolve any differences in relation to maritime security in accordance with the UN Charter," he said.
Guterres called for partnerships to enhance maritime security.
"We must involve everyone with a stake in maritime spaces," he said. "As threats to maritime security are becoming more complex and interconnected, enhanced coordination and stronger maritime governance are essential." ■
