IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has called for enhanced vigilance and international cooperation to tackle piracy, cyber threats and trafficking risks in shipping, reports Saint Petersburg's PortNews.

Addressing the United Nations Security Council on August 11, Dominguez warned of mounting dangers to ships and seafarers transporting billions of tonnes of cargo globally.

He urged member states to focus on prevention, innovation and regional collaboration, stressing that maritime security is a shared responsibility governed by international standards.

The IMO recorded nearly 150 piracy and armed robbery incidents in 2024, with hotspots in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, the Indian Ocean and West Africa.

Attacks in the Red Sea last year violated international law and endangered freedom of navigation, with some incidents resulting in loss of life.

Mr Dominguez also highlighted cyber-attacks, drug trafficking and fraud as growing threats, noting that emerging technologies require robust cybersecurity governance.

He welcomed Security Council resolutions demanding an end to attacks on shipping and continued monitoring of maritime threats.

The IMO has implemented binding measures including the 2004 International Ship and Port Facility Security Code and the 2005 revised protocols for unlawful acts at sea, alongside cybersecurity rules in Safety Management Systems.

Regional frameworks such as the Djibouti Code of Conduct, Yaounde Code of Conduct and ReCAAP support capacity building and information sharing.

Partnerships with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, INTERPOL and donor Member States underpin initiatives like the EU-funded Red Sea Programme and Port Security Project.

The debate, chaired by Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino, promoted multilateral approaches and adherence to international law to strengthen maritime security.

The IMO is a UN agency responsible for regulating international shipping, setting global standards for safety, security and environmental performance.

The UN Security Council is tasked with maintaining global peace and security, authorising peacekeeping missions and adopting binding resolutions under the UN Charter.

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