Maritime Security | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Prime Minister's UN Security Council Chairmanship on Maritime Security

Significance of Prime Minister's Participation:

• Chairing the UNSC meet on Maritime Security underscores the strategic importance of sea routes, emphasizing their economic significance (Blue Economy) and the threats posed by both state and non-state actors.
• Aligned with India's national interests, as over 90% of Indian trade relies on maritime routes, and the country boasts over 7500 km of coastline.
• Highlights the gravity of the issue, with attendance from other heads of state such as the Russian President and the US Secretary of State.
• Strategic utilization of the UN platform to address concerns over China's maritime assertiveness, its coercive tactics, and the non-transparent nature of the Belt and Road Initiative.
• Demonstrates India's commitment to maintaining free and open trade routes and assuming a leadership role as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Emphasizes India's humanitarian role and advocates for inclusive maritime governance to benefit all of humanity, focusing on development and humanitarian aspects beyond a China-centric approach.
• Underlines the importance of the sea for sustainable growth and addressing environmental challenges.

Dimensions of Maritime Security

• Maritime security encompasses traditional and non-traditional threats, including state actors' assertiveness and non-state challenges like natural disasters, environmental pollution, economic disparities, and transnational crime.
• India's efforts to ensure maritime security involve expanding hard power, engaging in bilateral and multilateral naval exercises, promoting the vision of SAGAR, and fostering regional cooperation with like-minded countries.
• Infrastructure development initiatives, such as port agreements and connectivity projects, aim to enhance India's maritime capabilities and promote regional stability.

Outcomes of the Debate

• Five principles of maritime security were discussed, emphasizing peaceful dispute resolution, free maritime trade, collective response to threats, environmental preservation, and responsible maritime connectivity.
• The way forward involves advocating for universally accepted maritime governance, collaborating with allies to counter China's debt-trap diplomacy, and participating in global efforts to finance infrastructure projects in developing countries.
• India should prioritize developing naval capabilities to match China's strength and not solely rely on moral appeals, as power dynamics play a crucial role in international relations.