New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired the high-level open debate on ‘Enhancing Maritime Security – A Case for International Cooperation’ via video conferencing.
PM Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to preside over a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also participating in the meeting.
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Speaking at the UNSC High-Level Open Debate on 'Enhancing Maritime Security: A Case For International Cooperation', PM Modi said that oceans are the world's shared heritage and "our maritime routes are the lifelines of international trade, these oceans are very important for the future of our planet".
"This shared heritage of ours (oceans) is facing several types of challenges. Maritime routes are being misused for piracy and terrorism," he added as quoted by news agency ANI.
Addressing the forum, Prime Minister Modi put forth five basic principles for maritime security. These include:
- Free maritime trade sans barriers so as to establish legitimate trade.
- Peaceful Settlement of maritime disputes on the basis of international law.
- Encouragement of responsible maritime connectivity.
- Collectively combat maritime threats posed by non-state actors and natural calamities.
- Preserving the maritime environment and resources.
"We should remove barriers to maritime trade. Our prosperity depends on the active flow of maritime trade & barriers in this path can pose a challenge to the entire global economy. Free maritime trade is associated with the culture of India for time immemorial," PM Modi said.
"We want to make an inclusive framework on maritime security in our region based on the vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region). This vision is for a safe, secure, and stable maritime domain," he added.
The UN Security Council has discussed and passed resolutions on different aspects of maritime security and maritime crime. However, this will be the first time that maritime security is being discussed in a holistic manner as an exclusive agenda item in such a high-level open debate.
Attempt To Advance Concept Of SAGAR
On the pretext of a special meeting on maritime security, India is also trying to advance the concept of SAGAR. Prime Minister Modi had put forward the vision of SAGAR - an acronym for ‘Security and Growth for all in the Region’ in 2015.
The same idea of SAGAR was taken forward during the 2019 East Asia Summit and was given the shape of the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative.
It has set 7 key pillars, including Marine Ecology, Marine Resources, Capacity Expansion, Resource Sharing, Disaster Control Measures, and coordination between Management Science and Technology Educational institutions, Business Connectivity, and Maritime Transport.