Pakistan calls for responsible use of AI to strengthen maritime security

Pakistan has called for the responsible and equitable use of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen maritime security, prevent their misuse and safeguard international peace and security.

The remarks were made by Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the UN Usman Jadoon while speaking at the Security Council’s high-level open debate on ‘Emerging Technologies and Maritime Security: Implications for Peace and Security’.

He stressed that emerging technologies should also be made readily available for humanitarian purposes, including providing relief to seafarers threatened by piracy.

Since its adoption, he said, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has served as the cornerstone of international maritime order. “The legal order established by UNCLOS and the larger body of the law of the sea must be protected and promoted universally.”

“Disruptions of maritime traffic and attacks on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-Al-Mandab have revealed how quickly such developments can imperil energy, food and economic security. We reiterate our strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our brotherly countries in the region, which are impacted by the volatility in these vital waterways, and maritime chokepoints,” he said.

Jadoon said Pakistan strongly condemns the nefarious designs by Houthi militia to weaponise Bab-Al-Mandab, attacking merchant shipping and seafarers navigating the strait.

“These attacks undermine maritime security and threaten peace and development of regional countries, especially that of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has faced blatant aggression by the Houthis,” he maintained, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom.