IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has expressed concern over the series of attacks against commercial vessels that have been occurring in the Red Sea.
As the Secretary-General expressed in his statement, the recent reports of threats made to commercial shipping in the Red Sea are extremely alarming and unacceptable. Commercial shipping should never be a collateral victim of geopolitical conflicts, he highlighted.
This statement comes after a series of attacks on the Red Sea, with the latest occurring north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, targeting a commercial tanker with a rocket, which resulted in a fire. Previously, on 26th November, a tanker with phosphoric acid was taken over by armed persons in the Gulf of Aden.
Any attack on commercial shipping is contrary to international maritime law, including laws which protect the freedom of navigation. Any action which might adversely affect shipping engaged in international trade must be avoided.
Ships, cargoes and seafarers must be protected at all times. I invite Member States to work together to ensure unhindered and safe global navigation, everywhere, as a prerequisite for maintaining the world’s supply chains, and in line with the framework of the Djibouti Code of Conduct.