Permanent Mission of India
New York
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Arria-Formula meeting on “Maritime Safety and Security: Protection of Seafarers,”

Statement by Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, Permanent Representative
21 November 2025

Thank you Madam Chair,

At the outset, we would like to thank the Permanent Mission of Greece for yet another initiative to discuss this important topic. We also thank the Permanent Missions of Philippines, Denmark, Japan, Panama and Romania for taking the lead as co-organizers and co-sponsors of this meeting. We thank Ambassador Balta, the Permanent Representative of Greece and the briefers for their valuable insights on the subject of maritime security and safety of seafarers. IMO Secretary General Dominguez, Captain Doumanis, Mr. Emmanuel Guzman, Prof. Bimal Patel, a distinguished Indian academic and international law practitioner, and importantly Captain Eleni Papadopoulou for being a trailblaizer in working for empowering women seafarers in a very difficult environment. India, being in the top three maritime communities, with12% of the world’s seafarers, gives immense importance to the safety, well-being and rights of seafarers who form the lifeblood of global trade and maritime stability.

Madam Chair,

2. Over the last two years, in response to shipping attacks and rising incidents of piracy in the Western Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy has deployed over 35 ships in the region, carried out more than 1000 boarding operations and has responded to over 35 incidents. The credible and swift actions of Indian Navy have saved more than 520 lives, irrespective of nationality. Since November 2023, the Indian Navy has safely escorted over 367 Merchant Vessels, carrying over 14.7 million Metric Tons of Cargo, valued at over 6.3 billion dollars.

3. India’s decisive action in the liberation of MV Ruen from Somali pirates and the rescue of crew members demonstrated India’s commitment to safeguarding seafarers irrespective of their flag and nationality. Indian seafarers serving on the Marlin Luanda, showed exceptional courage in the face of a missile attack in the Gulf of Aden and were recognized with the IMO Bravery Award, while the Indian Navy received an IMO Commendation for this operation.

4. India’s Information Fusion Centre Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) has strengthened real time information exchange, while the Directorate General of Shipping, through the DG Comm Centre, has maintained round the clock crisis response cells, and issued continuous advisories and coordinated with foreign maritime administrations for the safe passage of seafarers. I bring to kind attention of the Chair that IMO has added the IFC-IOR as a key reporting centre in the IMO Best Management Practices Maritime Security (BMP-MS). The next logical step is to include the IFC-IOR as the IOR’s primary reporting centre in the IMO Maritime Safety Committee resolution. The support of Member States in this noble endeavour would be invaluable to our collective maritime security.

5. India has taken systematic steps to strengthen maritime labour protection through full incorporation of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 into domestic legislation. Recent reforms have also introduced explicit financial-security requirements ensuring that seafarers are never left abandoned or without recourse. India has also strengthened regulation of the Recruitment and Placement Service Providers to prevent exploitation, illegal fee-charging and contract irregularities. A 24 hour emergency helpline and grievance-redressal system, enabling timely support for seafarers in distress across the world has also been instituted.

Madam Chair,

6. India launched the ‘Sagar Mein Samman’(meaning ‘respect at sea’) initiative under the Maritime India Vision 2030 to promote gender sensitive safety standards, improved accommodation and sanitation on board, zero tolerance for harassment and the integration of gender considerations into safety management and audit processes. India has also demonstrated women’s leadership at sea through the operation of an all women crewed vessel by the Shipping Corporation of India, which stands as a model of professional capability and empowerment. A dedicated Task Force and seven Sub Committees have developed a national ‘Women in Maritime’ Policy. All these reflect our commitment to building an inclusive and equitable maritime workforce.

7. In conclusion, India’s initiatives represent a comprehensive approach to labour rights, welfare protection and gender inclusion at sea. India stands ready to work with the international community to strengthen seafarer protection, promote gender equality and improve the lives of those who serve aboard ships. Our efforts shall continue to be in consonance with our national vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).

I Thank you, Madam Chair.