27.04.2026 Statement for open debate on maritime security

Checked Against Delivery

Thank you, Mr President,

Let me also thank the Secretary-General and the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation, as well as Mr Childs, for their insightful remarks.

Peace and security do not end at our respective shorelines. Maritime security is not just a regional concern, but a global imperative, underpinning international peace as well as economic development and stability.

Foreign Minister Al-Zayani, Denmark therefore welcomes this open debate and thanks you and the Kingdom of Bahrain for maintaining the attention of the Security Council to this critical topic. 

Mr President,

In recent weeks much of this Council’s attention has been dedicated to the worrying situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Denmark has continuously called for respect for freedom of navigation. This is a cornerstone of international law and is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The denial of the right of transit passage in the Strait has had dramatic consequences across the globe.

In concrete terms, seafarers have been left stranded on vessels for weeks. Regional countries have been unable to exercise their unimpedable right to access the high seas essential for trade that sustains their daily lives. The poorest across the globe have been hit hardest, now facing a sharp increase in energy costs and lacking access to critical fertilisers, making food insecurity a very real and imminent threat.

In light of this, Denmark welcomed and joined the French-British initiative for an International Summit on the Strait of Hormuz on 17 April. We reconfirm our readiness to support transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz by a strictly defensive multinational mission to protect merchant vessels, reassure commercial shipping operators, and conduct mine clearance operations, as soon as conditions permit following a sustainable ceasefire agreement.

Mr President,

In a broader perspective, Denmark’s approach to maritime security has been consistent for decades. We were among the first nations in the 1950s that recognised the need for a binding framework for all ocean activities, and were among the first to sign the later and final UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

We did so because we believed that maritime security begins with legal clarity. That belief remains just as firm today. Respect for international law must remain our compass at sea, also in stormy waters. In this context, UNCLOS remains the relevant legal framework that must be respected, implemented and defended.

Mr President,

As we have heard this morning, we  also need to recognise, and respond to, emerging, complex and growing maritime security threats.

Denmark is particularly concerned by the risk that “shadow fleets” pose both in our immediate neighbourhood, the Baltic Sea and North Sea, as well as elsewhere in the world circumventing international sanctions. These old, poorly maintained and insufficiently insured vessels are a huge risk to seafarers, maritime security and navigation, the environment and coastal communities.

It is clear that the relevant rules at sea are being deliberately undermined and Denmark calls for urgent, coordinated, international action. More cooperation is required to improve environmental protection, registry integrity, capacity building and to counter unlawful operations. The IMO’s work is essential in ensuring that the necessary measures are taken to close loopholes.

Protecting critical undersea infrastructure is equally vital in our interconnected world. Recurrent incidents on underwater cables and pipelines – often by flagless vessels or clandestine actors – have undermined the need for a collective response to enhance the protection of this essential infrastructure.

Mr President, in closing

Recent events have demonstrated clearly that the challenges we face at sea transcend national borders and demand a coordinated response and sustained attention from this Council. Denmark will continue to support a comprehensive approach to maritime security and work in partnership with other countries to ensure our oceans remain a source of connection and economic prosperity for all, rather than conflict and insecurity.

Thank you.