Modi to chair UN Security Council debate on maritime security today

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi will on Monday (9) chair a high-level open debate on “Enhancing Maritime Security – A Case for International Cooperation” at the United Nations Security Council through video conferencing. India is holding the presidency of the council for the month of August.

On Sunday (8), Modi’s office said the meeting is expected to be attended by a number of heads of state and government of the member states of the council besides high-level briefers from the UN system and key regional bodies.

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“Modi would be the first Indian prime minister to preside over a UN Security Council Open Debate,” the prime minister’s office (PMO) said.

The security council has discussed and passed resolutions on various aspects of maritime security and crime, the PMO said, adding that it will be the first time that the subject of maritime security will be discussed in a holistic manner as an exclusive agenda item in such a high-profile open debate.

“Given that no country alone can address the diverse aspects of maritime security, it is important to consider this subject in a holistic manner in the United Nations Security Council. A comprehensive approach to maritime security should protect and support legitimate maritime activities, while countering traditional and non-traditional threats in the maritime domain,” it said.

The oceans have played a key role in India’s history since the days of the Indus Valley Civilisation, the PMO said, adding that based on the country’s civilisational ethos that see the seas as an enabler of shared peace and prosperity, Modi presented the vision of SAGAR – an acronym of ‘Security and Growth for all in the Region” in 2015.

The vision stresses on cooperative measures for sustainable use of the oceans and gives a framework for a safe, secure and stable maritime domain in the zone.