Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at an informal UNSC Arria-Formula meeting on Safe Seas, Shared Security: Protecting Freedom of Navigation in an Evolving Security Environment
Mr. President, Distinguished Minister Al Zayani,
We welcome your personal presidency of today’s informal Arria-formula meeting of the SC members. We thank the briefers for their statements and contributions to the discussion.
At the same time, we would like to make it clear from the start that maritime security issues are not directly related to the mandate of the Security Council. We have consistently maintained that there are other, specialized platforms for their substantive consideration.
We regret that the concept note for today’s meeting does not mention in any way the most serious and truly global challenge facing navigation in the world's oceans. I mean the attempts by EU countries and the United Kingdom to seize civilian vessels based on unlawful unilateral coercive measures (UCMs) that they themselves have imposed in violation of international law. Such actions grossly violate the fundamental provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which guarantees freedom of navigation and the right of innocent and transit passage. They undermine the very foundation of stability and predictability of supply chains and, as a result, pose a serious threat to global trade, a significant part of which is conducted by sea.
Stability and predictability of maritime logistics are important for all countries, and for small island States or coastal developing countries, these factors are a matter of survival.
The unlawful UCMs imposed by the collective West affect not only the countries they are targeted at but also an unlimited number of third countries, with consequences ranging from higher prices for certain goods to disruptions in the supply of critical goods, including food and hydrocarbons.
Both the UCMs violating international law and the illegal restrictions of freedom of navigation ensuing from UCMs, including labeling the vessels as belonging to a so-called “shadow fleet,” pursue one single goal – that is, to secure dominance through unfair competition by non-economic means. Right before our very eyes, a small group of countries – consisting almost entirely of former colonial powers – is attempting to secure a monopoly position in the maritime transport market. We believe there is no need to explain the consequences of such a situation for countries that are largely or entirely dependent on maritime transport.
We would like to separately emphasize that neither international law nor the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea contains the concept of a “shadow fleet.” Neither a mention of this notion nor any reference to unlawful UCMs can be found in the strictly limited list of grounds for stopping and inspecting vessels at sea. Thus, the actions of these 21st-century European pirates have no legal basis whatsoever.
Mr. President,
As for the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as well as in the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea that I mentioned, we are convinced that this issue cannot be considered in isolation from the broader regional context. The escalation we are witnessing there is a direct consequence of the reckless US-Israeli military misadventure. It was the unprovoked aggression against Iran that set the entire region ablaze. The fact that some delegations are focusing on Tehran’s retaliatory actions is a clear case of reverse causation. This point is best illustrated by the simple fact that, prior to 28 February 2026, there had been no disruptions to shipping traffic in the Persian Gulf.
We are convinced that the only way to resolve navigation issues in the above-mentioned waterways is through political and diplomatic efforts aimed at a sustainable resolution of the conflict with due regard to the legitimate rights and interests of all regional States. We expect parties to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible. We are grateful to the States that are assisting them in this effort. For our part, we are also prepared to provide them with all the necessary support.
Thank you.
