Qatar has stressed the need to place maritime security at the heart of joint international efforts and harness technological innovation to promote international peace and security.
This came in a statement delivered by Her Excellency Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani, during a high-level open debate of the UN Security Council on 'Emerging Technologies and Maritime Security: Implications for Peace and Security,' held at UN Headquarters in New York.
HE Sheikha Alya said Qatar attaches great importance to maritime security as a fundamental pillar of international peace and security. She noted that emerging technologies, including AI, autonomous systems, and advanced surveillance, offer major opportunities to improve maritime safety, while their misuse threatens commercial shipping, critical maritime infrastructure, and trade security.
She said developments in the Middle East this year had demonstrated the serious consequences of threats to maritime security and freedom of navigation, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz. She stressed the need for full compliance with international law and Security Council Resolution 2817, including its provisions concerning navigational rights and freedoms under international law.
HE Sheikha Alya reiterated Qatar's categorical rejection of using the Strait of Hormuz as a means of political pressure, calling for its unconditional reopening. She emphasised that freedom of navigation and transit passage rights through this vital waterway, in accordance with international law, are firmly established principles that are not subject to negotiation.
She added that Qatar believes the responsible use of emerging technologies in the maritime domain must fully comply with international law, particularly the UN Charter and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and be supported by appropriate safeguards, effective human oversight, and clear accountability.
She also stressed the need to strengthen cybersecurity, protect maritime navigation and communications systems, enhance information-sharing and early warning, and ensure developing countries benefit fairly from technological progress through technical assistance, capacity-building, and partnerships with the private sector and maritime transport industry.
HE Sheikha Alya noted that the Security Council has an important role to play in addressing these challenges within its mandate, building on its August 2021 presidential statement on maritime security and its October 2024 presidential statement on the consideration of scientific developments.
She added that the council's credibility depends on ensuring the implementation of its resolutions and responding consistently and without selectivity to threats to maritime security.
She affirmed that Qatar continues to participate actively in the work of the International Maritime Organization, including meetings of its Maritime Safety Committee.
HE Sheikha Alya underscored the importance of ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas, and noted Qatar's support for international efforts to assist ships and seafarers affected at sea.
