The Council of the International Maritime organisation has urged stronger protection for seafarers and merchant shipping as it condemned recent attacks in the Red Sea and Black Sea and mourned the death of a 25th seafarer in the context of the Strait of Hormuz conflict, according to a report published by reports on 8 November 2026.
The council’s statement explicitly condemned assaults on merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Black Sea, describing the incidents as direct threats to the safety of crews and to secure commercial navigation on vital international routes. The council linked these attacks to wider pressures on global shipping that have persisted in several regions.
Delegates also recorded sorrow at the loss of the 25th seafarer since the onset of the Strait of Hormuz conflict, reiterating condolences to those bereaved and to affected shipowners and operators. The count was cited in the report as a stark metric of the human cost associated with maritime insecurity in contested waters.
At the same meeting the council confirmed the renewal of the Secretary-General’s tenure, a procedural outcome reported alongside its safety and security pronouncements. The continuation of the Secretary-General’s mandate was presented as part of routine governance business that took place during the session.
Scope of the council’s concerns
The council reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the safety, security, health and well-being of seafarers amid what it described as continuing threats to global shipping, emphasising that risks to crews extend beyond immediate physical danger to wider welfare and operational resilience. The report notes the council’s focus on both the protection of persons at sea and the maintenance of safe and reliable supply chains.
Calls for stronger protection
Members urged a stepped-up international response to shield crews and vessels from further harm and disruption, calling for measures that enhance security, medical support and welfare for seafarers operating in high-risk areas. The council’s appeal, as recorded in reports’s account, framed seafarer protection as central to preserving maritime trade and humanitarian obligations to those who work at sea.
The council’s combined actions and statements at this session underline the dual nature of the problem: acute operational threats from specific attacks and a sustained pressure on seafarer safety linked to regional conflicts. The refreshed leadership mandate and the council’s public appeal together signal an intention to keep seafarer protection high on the international maritime agenda while member states and industry consider practical responses.