August 10, 2021 By P. Jayachandran 0

Modi advocated for enhanced Maritime Security

During the United Nations Security Council(UNSC) High-Level Open video conference, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly advocated for enhancing “International Maritime Security”.

Many country heads and representatives such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh, the President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken participated in this meeting.

During this meeting, Narendra Modi has asked the world leaders for their earnest co-operation to maintain free and fair international maritime trade that is highly essential to respect the rights of the seafarers across the world.

credit – raddit.com

Please find below details of the five principle framework that has put forward by Narendra Modi:-

1) Ensure free maritime trade to respect the rights of the seafarers from different parts of the world.

2) Promote mutual trust and confidence, Ensure global peace and stability. The entire maritime disputes should be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law.

3) Mutual global co-operation is highly essential to tackle maritime threats from non-state actors and natural disasters.

4) Maritime environment and marine resources supposed to be preserved in a proper manner. Appropriate and well planned action required to reduce the pollution from plastic waste and oil spills.

5) Adequate maritime connectivity structure to be developed with the global norms and standards to boost maritime trade.&

Though Narendra Modi did not mention China’s name in his speech, but the needle was certainly focusing on China only.

During the debate, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also targetted China by stating that “some of the critical areas where we see maritime rules and principles under threat”.

credit – livemint.com

This UNSC meeting is highly important for the international community to send a strong message to the arrogant China that is not all accepting the verdict of The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague.

In July 2016, The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague comprised of a panel of five experts in Maritime Law ruled that there was no legal basis to China’s claim to sovereignty over much of the South China Sea.

The court has further ruled that there was no clear cut evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or it’s resources, even though Chinese navigators, fishermen as well as other country people historically used the Islands based in South China Sea.

But the arrogant Chinese regime flatly rejected the Hague court verdict. At the same time they have systematically carried out series of controversial land reclamation in various disputed Islands the South China Sea and militarized these reclaimed Islands in the intention of dominating in the South China Sea region militarily.

Apart from militarizing the reclaimed disputed Islands illegally, Chinese regime is now busy in harming countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Eden and Japan by stopping fishing activities of Philippines and Indonesia, stopping the Oil exploration of Vietnam and claiming of Japanese Islands.

As the entire world wants Freedom of Navigation and International Maritime Security, this meeting is highly important to give a strong warning to China for their ongoing illegal hegemony in the South China Sea.

If the countries like U.S., India, Australia, Japan, France, Germany, U.K. and Russia joins together, then they can defeat every Chinese military’s attempt to dominate in the South China Sea in future.

At the same time they can ensure to enhance International Maritime Security and Freedom of Navigation for the international communities in future.