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STORY: UN / MARITIME SECURITY
TRT: 04:44
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 27 APRIL 2026, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, UN Headquarters
27 APRIL 2026, NEW YORK CITY
2. Med shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Safe, unimpeded passage is an economic and humanitarian imperative. The economic shock has been immediate – and everyone is paying the price.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Behind the cargo figures and the price surges are people. More than 20,000 seafarers remain stranded at sea. Over 2,000 commercial vessels are caught in a web of risks and restrictions to navigation. These men and women are not parties to any conflict. They are civilian workers keeping the world supplied. Their safety, their well-being, and their rights must be protected – at all times, and in all waters.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“I urge Member States to support the emergency evacuation framework prepared by the International Maritime Organization: A coordinated plan to ensure the safe movement, assistance, and protection of affected crews in full accordance with international law.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The Charter's prohibition of the threat or use of force applies fully at sea. Navigational rights and freedoms through the Strait of Hormuz must be respected – as affirmed by this Council’s Resolution 2817. These principles must be upheld – in full, and without delay. I appeal to the parties: Open the Strait. Let ships pass. No tolls. No discrimination. Let trade resume. Let the global economy breathe.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization (IMO):
“Any disruption to shipping represents a global interference to energy and food security. The principle of freedom of navigation is not negotiable. Ships must be allowed to trade worldwide unhindered and in accordance with international law.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization (IMO):
“Our main concern remains the safety and the well-being of the innocent seafarers trapped in the Gulf due to the conflict. Following the IMO Council decision, I have begun the development of an evacuation framework, using the existing traffic separation scheme, to securely evacuate ships and seafarers from the conflict zone provided it is safe to do so.”
14. Wide shot, Security Council
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization (IMO):
“The technical and operational developments are being carried out with the involvement of the regional countries, including Iran, and with the support from relevant countries assisting in the negotiations. As an organization, we are ready to implement this framework without delay, but only once it is safe to do so. In this respect, I call upon States to uphold the principle of freedom of navigation; and reject an imposition of tolls, fees or discriminatory transit measures for the passage through a strait used for international navigation.”
16. Wide shot, Security Council
17. Med shot, Ambassadors at stakeout
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Bahrain:
“Navigational rights and freedoms must not be unlawfully threatened or suspended. We reiterate our call for the urgent and unimpeded opening of the Strait. We reject any effort to unlawfully threaten or suspend navigational rights and freedoms, including through the imposition of tolls.”
18. Wide shot, Ambassadors at stakeout
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Bahrain:
“We reaffirm our support for the vital work of the International Maritime Organization, and partners in the region. We will continue to support them and work with the shipping industry to ensure they can resume operations as soon as conditions permits.”
20. Wide shot, Ambassadors at stakeout
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged Member States to support the emergency evacuation framework prepared by the International Maritime Organization (IOM) to securely evacuate ships and seafarers from the conflict zone.
Addressing the Security Council about ‘Safety and Protection of Waterways in the Maritime Domain’ today (27 Apr), Guterres said, “Safe, unimpeded passage is an economic and humanitarian imperative. The economic shock has been immediate – and everyone is paying the price.”
He highlighted, “Behind the cargo figures and the price surges are people. More than 20,000 seafarers remain stranded at sea. Over 2,000 commercial vessels are caught in a web of risks and restrictions to navigation. These men and women are not parties to any conflict. They are civilian workers keeping the world supplied. Their safety, their well-being, and their rights must be protected – at all times, and in all waters.”
He urged Member States to support the emergency evacuation framework prepared by the International Maritime Organization, “A coordinated plan to ensure the safe movement, assistance, and protection of affected crews in full accordance with international law.”
He continued, “The Charter's prohibition of the threat or use of force applies fully at sea. Navigational rights and freedoms through the Strait of Hormuz must be respected – as affirmed by this Council’s Resolution 2817. These principles must be upheld – in full, and without delay. I appeal to the parties: Open the Strait. Let ships pass. No tolls. No discrimination. Let trade resume. Let the global economy breathe.”
Arsenio Dominguez, IMO’s Secretary-General, stated, “Any disruption to shipping represents a global interference to energy and food security. The principle of freedom of navigation is not negotiable. Ships must be allowed to trade worldwide unhindered and in accordance with international law.”
He stressed, “Our main concern remains the safety and the well-being of the innocent seafarers trapped in the Gulf due to the conflict. Following the IMO Council decision, I have begun the development of an evacuation framework, using the existing traffic separation scheme, to securely evacuate ships and seafarers from the conflict zone provided it is safe to do so.”
He added, “The technical and operational developments are being carried out with the involvement of the regional countries, including Iran, and with the support from relevant countries assisting in the negotiations. As an organization, we are ready to implement this framework without delay, but only once it is safe to do so. In this respect, I call upon States to uphold the principle of freedom of navigation; and reject an imposition of tolls, fees or discriminatory transit measures for the passage through a strait used for international navigation.”
Addressing journalist earlier this morning, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain read a join statement on behalf on behalf of a broad coalition of countries, and said, “Navigational rights and freedoms must not be unlawfully threatened or suspended. We reiterate our call for the urgent and unimpeded opening of the Strait. We reject any effort to unlawfully threaten or suspend navigational rights and freedoms, including through the imposition of tolls.”
He also said, “We reaffirm our support for the vital work of the International Maritime Organization, and partners in the region. We will continue to support them and work with the shipping industry to ensure they can resume operations as soon as conditions permits.”
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