India, Liberia launch UN shipping safety group; Jaishankar urges action against attacks on seafarers

The grouping, known as the 'Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers', met on the sidelines of the UNGA’s High Level Week in New York.

India and Liberia on Friday brought together a group of countries intended to address a recent spate of attacks on commercial vessels on the high seas that have led to the deaths of dozens of seafarers, including several Indians. The grouping, known as the 'Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers', met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s High Level Week in New York.

“From the Black Sea to the Red Sea to the Gulf, attacks on civilian shipping have become a growing cause of concern. These actions that disrupt maritime commerce and cost innocent lives are simply indefensible,” said external affairs minister S Jaishankar at the event.

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Jaishankar pointed to the death of an Indian sailor in an attack on the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged carrier MV Cape Dove in the Gulf of Oman just two days prior.

India’s foreign minister called on the international community to “close ranks and deter such attacks”. With nearly two million seafarers helping safely conduct oceanic trade - which accounts for roughly 80% of the international trade - Jaishankar pointed to India’s record in catalysing international action to ensure their safety including at the BRICS Summit earlier this month.

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“Prime Minister Modi proposed establishing a seafarers emergency support network which could connect the maritime authorities and embassies of the countries concerned and facilitate distress alerts, medical alerts, communication with family and support for evacuations where needed,” said Jaishankar.

However, the Indian foreign minister added that the case of seafarers necessitated closer international cooperation given the fact that these individuals often worked on shipping flagged in countries different from their own nationality. The proposal for a new Group of Friends to handle issues related to maritime safety and the protection seafarers comes against this backdrop. The grouping, Jaishankar said, would include major ship owning nations, countries with the largest number of ship registries and those providing the largest number of seafarers.

Shashank Mattoo is the Washington DC-based US Correspondent for Hindustan Times. Shashank covers the Trump administration, the India-US relationship and America's policies towards South Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific.Read More