India told a United Nations Security Council Arria-formula meeting that navigational rights must be protected from coercion, threats, and arbitrary interference. Speaking at the September session titled Safe Seas, Shared Security, Permanent Representative Harish Parvathaneni warned that disruptions at maritime chokepoints increase freight and insurance costs, strain alternative routes, and impact energy and food security in developing countries. India linked recent shipping instability, such as around the Strait of Hormuz during the wider West Asia conflict, to cascading economic and humanitarian risks.
Parvathaneni stated that commercial vessels must not be targeted due to geopolitical tensions and that UNCLOS-based freedoms of navigation and overflight need full respect. He called for practical arrangements to maintain the flow of essential commercial and humanitarian cargo during crises. The appeal also prioritized seafarer safety by addressing evacuation frameworks, medical assistance, crew changes, and repatriation with clearer state responsibilities, while highlighting emerging threats from unmanned systems, cyber attacks, and interference with navigation and communications networks.
National accounts indicated that Indian naval escort missions have assisted hundreds of merchant vessels carrying millions of tonnes of cargo and oil through troubled waters. Outlets including India Today and WION reported the core message emphasizing coercion-free navigation and seafarer protection, reflecting India’s efforts to defend sea lanes vital for its energy imports and diaspora crews.