India and Liberia Launch UN Maritime Security Initiative

India and Liberia established the Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 25. Subramanyam Jaishankar, India's External Affairs Minister, announced the forum to address the increasing frequency of attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and the Black Sea.

Jaishankar described the attacks as a dangerous trend that is "simply indefensible," noting that such incidents are no longer exceptional occurrences. He cited specific casualties, including the deaths of five Indian seafarers aboard the MV Omorfi and MV Golden Leo in the Black Sea, as well as attacks on the MV Cape Dao and El Gaia. The initiative leverages India's role as a major supplier of seafarers and Liberia's status as the world's largest shipping registry to protect approximately $140 billion in daily international trade.

The group builds upon a proposal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create a seafarers’ emergency support network for coordinating medical assistance, evacuations, and distress alerts. During the event, Jaishankar also dismissed a question about terrorism from a Pakistani journalist, stating that a "terrorist country" was asking the question.