India puts AI-led maritime security at heart of 2028-29 UNSC bid

Maritime security and artificial intelligence will be among India's key priorities as it seeks a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2028-29 term, India's envoy to the UN has said, according to news agency Press Trust of India.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said technology must make shared maritime spaces safer rather than more contested. He also stressed the need to protect freedom of navigation, maritime trade and seafarers.

“Oceans are the arteries of global commerce, connecting economies, sustaining livelihoods and ensuring food and energy security. Their safety and security are indispensable to international peace and prosperity,” Parvathaneni said on Thursday.

He was addressing a high-level open debate on “Emerging Technologies and Maritime Security: Implications for Peace and Security” at the Security Council. He said India had identified artificial intelligence and maritime security as important priorities for its candidature for the 2028-29 term.

Parvathaneni said emerging technologies were transforming the maritime sector. “Artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, satellite-based surveillance and advanced cyber capabilities offer unprecedented opportunities to strengthen maritime security. Equally, their misuse presents new challenges that demand our collective attention,” he said.

“Our objective is clear: technology must strengthen human security, not undermine it; it must expand opportunity, not inequality; and it must make our shared maritime commons safer, not more contested. India stands ready to work with all partners towards this objective,” he added.

India stressed that technological advances must not widen existing disparities. “Developing countries require access to technology, training and institutional capabilities to secure their maritime infrastructure and participate meaningfully in shaping technological governance,” Parvathaneni said.

India has announced its candidature for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the 2028-29 term. Elections will be held in June next year, with India and Tajikistan competing for the sole seat in the Asia-Pacific Group category, PTI reported.

Parvathaneni underlined the need to safeguard freedom of navigation and maritime commerce. He said recent attacks on commercial shipping had shown how disruptions at critical maritime routes could have consequences far beyond the areas where they occurred.

“They threaten seafarers, disrupt supply chains and disproportionately affect developing countries through higher costs and economic uncertainty,” he said, reiterating India's strong condemnation of attacks on commercial vessels.

He said India reaffirmed the importance of freedom of navigation, unhindered lawful maritime commerce and the safety of seafarers in accordance with international law.

Highlighting the role of technology in strengthening maritime security, Parvathaneni said AI-assisted analysis of satellite images, radar information and vessel-tracking data could improve awareness of maritime activity, detect suspicious activity and support search-and-rescue operations.

He cited India's Information Fusion Centre–Indian Ocean Region, located near New Delhi, as an example of how cooperation and information-sharing could strengthen maritime security.

“Our approach is guided by the vision of SAGAR — Security and Growth for All in the Region — and the broader commitment to inclusive maritime cooperation,” he said.

Calling on the international community to address new technological vulnerabilities, Parvathaneni said greater digitalisation and automation also exposed ports, vessels, communication networks and undersea infrastructure to cyber threats.

“The proliferation of autonomous systems raises complex questions of attribution, accountability and unintended escalation. We must therefore ensure appropriate safeguards, meaningful human oversight and clear responsibility in the deployment of emerging technologies,” he said.

India said the UN Charter and international law, including the law of the sea as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, provided the essential framework for the conduct of countries.

India also called for stronger international cooperation while respecting the roles of different institutions. It said the work of the Maritime Organisation and other relevant bodies should be strengthened rather than duplicated.

“The Security Council should focus on technological developments with demonstrable implications for international peace and security, encouraging practical cooperation, confidence-building and resilience,” Parvathaneni said.

The debate was held during Greece's presidency of the Security Council for October. In September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis had co-chaired an event titled “AI in the Context of Peace & Security, with an Emphasis on Maritime Security” on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly week.

Jaishankar had stressed the need to use the opportunities offered by AI, anticipate its consequences and reduce its risks. He said AI could improve maritime awareness, search and rescue, disaster response, the identification of suspicious activity, and the resilience of ports and critical infrastructure.

India's stated priorities for its 2028-29 Security Council candidature include using AI to improve maritime safety while addressing cyber risks, ensuring human oversight, protecting lawful maritime commerce and helping developing countries gain access to technology and training.

With PTI Inputs

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