Montenegro has joined the 27 European Union member states and 32 other countries in a global pledge to uphold international maritime law and oppose unlawful fees, tolls and other restrictions on ships passing through straits used for international navigation.
EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy Kaja Kallas announced the pledge on October 12. It seeks to protect freedom of navigation and preserve the existing legal framework for international shipping. In a statement published on October 13, the EU Delegation to the Philippines said international waterways should stay open and governed by established maritime law.
“Straits used for international navigation are not only regional waterways but global lifelines,” the statement said. “Their security and safety depend on respect for international law, as reflected in UNCLOS, on restraint by all parties, and on sustained multilateral cooperation.”
The pledge reaffirms the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the legal framework for activities in the world’s oceans and seas. It warns that disruptions to maritime routes, particularly strategically important waterways, can have far-reaching consequences for international trade, energy flows, supply chains and food security.
“Introducing restrictions, conditions, discriminatory measures or other obstacles to lawful passage through straits used for international navigation would set a dangerous precedent for global strategic waterways,” the pledge stated. It added that no state should impose discriminatory limits on the passage of ships through such waterways in a manner inconsistent with international law, as reflected in UNCLOS.
The signatories committed to three actions. They pledged to work with international and regional institutions responsible for maritime governance, safety and security, particularly the International Maritime Organization, and to support defensive, non-escalatory multilateral initiatives aimed at preserving freedom of navigation. They reject coercive or unilateral actions that seek to undermine or circumvent the international order based on UNCLOS and the existing legal framework for international navigation. They also oppose measures that could hamper lawful passage through international straits, including unlawful fees and tolls, discriminatory restrictions, prior authorization requirements and other conditions. The pledge said such measures could undermine the existing legal framework governing passage under the international law of the sea.
Besides the current 27 EU members and Montenegro, the signatories are Australia, Bahrain, Benin, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cook Islands, Fiji, Gabon, Honduras, Iceland, Japan, Jordan, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Mauritania, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Palau, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Turkmenistan, the United Kingdom and Yemen.