IMO urges member states to stop attacking merchant ships

The head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) urged member states to stop actions endangering merchant ships and seafarers amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Addressing the the organization's Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers, Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez warned of the severe impacts of geopolitical tensions on the shipping industry.

Dominguez said they were reaching a point where these conflicts were used as a pretext to attack merchant vessels and innocent seafarers.

Since the current conflict in the Middle East began on Feb. 28, the IMO verified 80 attacks on international shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 seafarers and injuries to many others.

In the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, dozens of fatalities reportedly resulted from attacks on international shipping in recent months.

Attacks in the Red Sea also resumed, with four fatalities confirmed in the latest attack by the Houthis on a merchant vessel on Aug. 11.

Dominguez emphasized that the attacks across these conflicts were not attributable to one single actor, noting that multiple entities were attacking merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

He underlined that addressing the root causes of these geopolitical conflicts was beyond the IMO's remit, but their impact was increasingly evident across global maritime trade and shipping operations.

Dominguez urged delegates to raise these impacts on international shipping with their governments and in the appropriate international fora.

When shipping operations face disruptions, the consequences extend far beyond the maritime sector, affecting economies, supply chains and everyday lives.

He called on members to share these impacts with relevant bodies in their capitals so the UN can address the root causes and find solutions.

The IMO Secretariat stands ready to contribute to workable solutions for the shipping industry that member states can bring forward at the technical and operational level.

The Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers meets in London on Sept. 14-18 to discuss safety issues related to the transport of dangerous goods, bulk cargoes and containers by sea.