Protecting undersea cables and pipelines requires coordinated action across regions
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Ian Borg, opened the first Global Forum of Maritime Fusion Centres Heads of Centre Meeting in Malta, a collaboration between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Valletta-based Global Centre for Maritime Sanctions Monitoring.
The two-day meeting is bringing together the heads of maritime fusion centres from across the world, to share best practices and explore solutions to pressing maritime security challenges, including sanctions evasion, illicit trafficking, dark shipping and risks to critical undersea infrastructure.
Dr Borg noted that this meeting reconfirms the critical role of maritime security in building peace, safeguarding economic stability and strengthening the rules-based international order. “As an island nation, Malta is acutely aware of the strategic importance of the sea. Our security and prosperity depend on effective maritime governance. This is why we have consistently invested in maritime domain awareness, sanctions enforcement, and multilateral cooperation," he explained.
Reflecting on the importance of the Maritime UN Sanctions Enforcement (MUSE) Project, the Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged that sanctions enforcement at sea is among the most challenging aspects of the global sanctions framework, necessitating increased investment in real time monitoring, cross border coordination, and closer cooperation between fusion centres, flag states, port states, and international organisations.
Dr Borg also welcomed the Forum's emphasis on the protection of critical undersea infrastructure, an issue of paramount importance to Malta's national security. “Recent incidents have highlighted the vulnerability of cables, pipelines, and seabed assets, and the potentially severe consequences of disruption. Protecting these assets is not solely a national responsibility. It requires shared awareness, early warning, and coordinated responses across regions and institutions."
“Malta reaffirms its strong commitment to supporting international efforts that strengthen maritime security and uphold UN sanctions, as it continues to encourage regional and international cooperation, innovation and shared responsibility towards effective maritime governance," Dr Borg concluded.
The opening session of the Meeting was also addressed by the Head of the UNODC Office in Valletta, Shanaka Jayasekara, the Director of the Global Centre for Maritime Sanctions Monitoring, Martin Cauchi Inglott, the European Commission's Programme Manager for Global and Transregional Threats and Challenges, Antoine Hanin, and the Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, Brigadier Clinton J O'Neill. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Christopher Cutajar, and other key officials from the ministry and other entities, as well as several ambassadors to Malta, were also in attendance.
