The International Association of Ports and Harbours has urged the International Maritime organisation to revise the world’s main maritime security regulatory framework, citing a rise in attacks on commercial shipping and growing cyber and technology threats, the IAPH said in a statement on 5 November. The appeal was reported on 9 November 2026.
The industry group told the UN maritime body that the current framework, which has remained largely unchanged for more than two decades, may no longer offer full protection against present-day hazards. It argued that the combination of kinetic incidents and digital vulnerabilities has exposed gaps that demand regulatory attention.
IAPH’s call focuses on updating the overarching security rules that govern how ports and ships prevent, detect and respond to threats. The association framed the issue as systemic rather than confined to isolated incidents, pressing for a review of obligations and standards that underpin maritime security practice.
The statement identified two broad drivers for change: an apparent escalation in attacks on commercial shipping and the rapid emergence of cyber and other technology-based risks. Together, these developments have, according to the association, rendered parts of the existing framework less effective than when it was first established.
Reform proponents say modern threats do not respect the distinctions that once separated physical security from information security, and that regulatory instruments must reflect that convergence. The IAPH’s intervention adds a major ports-focused voice to debates about how best to adapt rules to new modes of attack.
Scope of the request
According to the IAPH statement, the update sought is not a narrow technical amendment but a reassessment of the principal international instrument that sets security expectations across the maritime sector. By describing the framework as the world’s main regulatory reference point, the association underlined the potential global reach of any revisions.
The group emphasised the need for measures that account for technological change and the evolving tactics used against commercial shipping. It suggested that the rules, put in place more than twenty years ago, have not kept pace with threats stemming from digital systems and other advances in maritime technology.
Industry concerns and implications
Ports and shipping companies, the IAPH noted, face a wider and more complex threat environment than when the framework was first drafted. Cyber incidents, supply-chain vulnerabilities and novel attack methods introduce operational challenges that may not be fully anticipated by existing obligations.
The association’s intervention is likely to sharpen attention on the adequacy of current security assessments, reporting requirements and contingency arrangements. It also raises questions for regulators and operators about how to balance practicable compliance with the need for stronger defences.
The IAPH statement came amid heightened awareness across the sector of risks both at sea and ashore. By making the case publicly on 5 November, the association has placed the matter squarely before the IMO and the wider shipping community, asking that the regulatory framework be examined with contemporary threats in mind.
How the IMO will respond to the appeal is not addressed in the IAPH statement itself. The association’s call, as reported on 9 November, will now contribute to ongoing discussions within the international maritime regulatory environment about whether and how to update long-standing security instruments.
The shipping industry and its regulators will watch for any signals from the IMO about the scope and timing of a review, and for subsequent proposals that might be brought forward for international consideration. In the meantime, the IAPH’s public push has underscored a shared concern among ports and related stakeholders that security rules match the risks of the present day.