WASHINGTON

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday of rising threats to maritime transport, which is important for global security.

"Without maritime security, there can be no global security. But maritime spaces are increasingly under strain from both traditional threats and emerging dangers: from challenges around contested boundaries, to the depletion of natural resources at sea, to escalating geopolitical tensions fanning the flames of competition, conflict and crime,” Guterres told a UN Security Council meeting headed by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Guterres said the first quarter of 2025 saw a “sharp upward reversal” in reported piracy and armed robbery at sea.

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), he said, reported incidents rose by nearly half — 47.5% compared to the same period in 2024.

"In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, attacks by the Houthis on commercial vessels have disrupted global trade and increased tensions in an already volatile region.

"The Gulf of Aden and the Mediterranean Sea remain treacherously active routes for migrant smuggling and the trafficking of weapons and human beings," he said.

The UN stands ready to continue to support countries in ensuring "peaceful, secure and prosperous" maritime spaces for generations to come, Guterres stressed.

"Let’s take action to support and secure maritime spaces, and the communities and people counting on them," he added.