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STORY: UN / MARITIME SECURITY
TRT: 04:59
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICITONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 11 AUGUST 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
11 AUGUST 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO):
“The safety and security of the maritime sector is fundamental to economic stability, sustainable maritime development and to livelihoods. Threats to shipping are ever present. In 2024 alone, nearly 150 incidents of piracy and armed robbery were reported.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, CEO of Panama Canal Authority:
“The Panama Canal is governed by an international treaty which safeguards equal access to all nations in times of peace or war. This promise, which is incorporated in our Constitution, has enabled a small country to contribute stability to global trade, shielding this infrastructure from geopolitical tensions that are often stymying progress.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, CEO of Panama Canal Authority:
“In 25 years under Panamanian administration, the canal has doubled its capacity, expanded its locks and enhanced its security. It has evolved from being a strategic path into a model of efficiency, transparency and technical commitment. Every dollar generated is reinvested to ensure that this artery continues to beat strongly for the service of the world, and any surpluses are invested socially in Panama.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General, INTERPOL:
“Traditional maritime threats like piracy and armed robbery remain deeply rooted — and in some regions, are surging. This is particularly concerning in Southeast Asia, where we are seeing a sharp increase in such attacks. From the Gulf of Guinea and Singapore Straits to the Red Sea and Somali coast, these threats continue to endanger lives and disrupt critical maritime corridors — with far-reaching consequences for regional stability and global supply chains.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General, INTERPOL:
“We also continue to see the crime-terror nexus play out at sea, where groups are tapping into criminal supply chains – moving weapons, operatives, and illicit goods to finance their activities. These trends point to a broader shift. What were once isolated offenses have evolved into converging maritime threats — carried out through the same command structures, routes, and financial flows.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General, INTERPOL:
“At the same time, we are seeing new and less visible dangers. As ports go digital - with automated vessel management, cargo tracking, and logistics – vulnerabilities are emerging faster than they can be secured. Ports are facing a wave of cyber intrusions targeting the power, communication, and logistics systems they rely on. Cybercriminals can weaponize artificial intelligence to attack with greater speed, scale, and precision. Many ports are appealing targets – minimal cybersecurity, maximum exposure.”
14. Wide shot, Security Council
15. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) José Raúl Mulino, President of the Republic of Panama:
“My country holds a geographically strategic position, historically linked to the oceans, and seriously takes up its responsibility in maintaining safe, efficient, and sustainable maritime routes. We are a country that is intrinsically linked to maritime trade from colonial times up to the present century. We're a symbol of unity, a tool for globalization, and international logistical efficiency. Today, more than 80% of global trade, by volume, is transported via maritime routes. This is an enormous, immeasurable indicator that reflects our interdependence, and like every interdependence, it calls for clear rules, cooperation, and respect.”
16. Wide shot, Security Council
“The safety and security of the maritime sector is fundamental to economic stability, sustainable maritime development and to livelihoods,” said Arsenio Domínguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
As the UN Security Council opened a high-level debate today (Aug 11) on emerging challenges to global maritime security, Domínguez said threats to shipping “are ever present,” noting that in 2024 nearly 150 incidents of piracy and armed robbery were reported, with the highest numbers in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, the Indian Ocean, and West Africa.
The meeting, titled “Maritime Security: Prevention, Innovation, and International Cooperation to Address Emerging Challenges,” was chaired by Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino as the signature event of Panama’s August presidency of the Council.
Panama Canal Authority CEO Ricaurte Vásquez Morales said the canal’s constitutional commitment to equal access “in times of peace or war” has helped shield it from geopolitical tensions. Over 25 years under Panamanian administration, the canal has doubled its capacity, expanded locks, and enhanced security, he said, with revenues reinvested to maintain operations and fund social projects in Panama.
INTERPOL Secretary-General Valdecy Urquiza warned that piracy and armed robbery are resurging in parts of Southeast Asia, with continued threats in the Gulf of Guinea, Singapore Straits, the Red Sea, and the Somali coast. He said maritime crime is increasingly linked to terrorism, with groups using sea routes to move weapons, operatives, and illicit goods, and pointed to rising cyber vulnerabilities as ports adopt automated systems.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino emphasized Panama’s strategic location and long-standing role in maritime trade. “More than 80% of global trade, by volume, is transported via maritime routes,” he said, calling for “clear rules, cooperation, and respect” to safeguard global shipping.
