now like to give the floor to the uh secretary general, his excellency Mr. Antonio Gutierrez. Uh thank you for your briefing, Mr. Secretary General. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Your Excellency, Prime Minister Emit Sotakis. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I thank the Presidency of Greece for convening today's open debate on the importance of strengthening maritime security through international cooperation. This debate underscores first of all that the basic condition to preserve maritime security is the respect by all countries of the UN charter and international law as reflected in the UN convention on the law of the sea. Mr. President, from time immemorial maritime roots have bound the world together. They have long been the primary means for the trade and transport of not only people, goods, and commodities, but also cultures and ideas. All of humanity depends on the world's oceans and seas. From the oxygen we breathe to the biodiversity that sustains all life to the economies, trade, and jobs supported by maritime industries. Today's debate shines a light on a fundamental fact. Without maritime security, there can be no global security. But maritime spaces are increasingly under strain from both traditional threats and emerging dangers. From challenges around contested boundaries to the depletion of natural resources at sea to escalating geopolitical tensions fanning the flames of competition, conflict, and crime. Over the years, this council has sought to address a range of threats that undermine maritime security and global peace. From piracy, armed robbery, trafficking and organized crime to destructive acts against shipping, offshore installations and critical infrastructure to terrorism in the maritime domain which poses a significant threat to international security, global trade and economic stability. No region is spared and the problem is getting worse. After a modest global decrease in reported piracy and armed robbery incidents in 2024, the first quarter of 2025 saw a sharp upward reversal. According to the International Maritime Organization, reported incidents rose by nearly half, 47.5% compared to the same period in 2024. Incidents in Asia nearly doubled, especially in the straits of Mala and Singapore. In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aen, attacks by the Houthis on commercial vessels have disrupted global trade and increased tensions in an already volatile region. The Gulf of Aen and the Mediterranean Sea remain treacherously active roots for migrant smuggling and the trafficking of weapons and human beings. The Gulf of Guinea continues to grapple with piracy, kidnappings, armed robbery at sea, oil thefts, illegal and reported and unregulated fishing, and the illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons, and people. Heroine from Afghanistan continues to reach East Africa through the Indian Ocean. Cocaine moves through the coasts of the Western Hemisphere and across the Atlantic Ocean to West Africa and European ports. And cyber attacks are a fast emerging security threat for ports and shipping companies. Facing these and other threats, the world's maritime roots and the people depending on them are sending a clear SOS. Mr. President, across the UN system, our agencies are supporting many regional initiatives that are gathering partners around maritime security across the globe. This includes initiatives to address insecurity from the Gulf of Aen and the Red Sea to the Gulf of Guinea and the Persian Gulf. It includes efforts to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea. It includes our work to help countries build strong maritime forces and legal systems. It includes efforts to tackle armed robbery against ships in Asia and fight piracy off the coast of Somalia. It includes our support of the Yaundi architecture for maritime security and interreional multi-level coordination mechanism to counter piracy in West and Central Africa which has seen a decline in piracy from 81 incidents in 2020 to just 18 last year. And the International Maritime Organization continues to play a fundamental role in deescalating tensions at sea and bringing together member states and the shipping industry to find solutions. Looking ahead, action is needed in three key areas. First, respect for international law. Respect for international law is the anchor of maritime security. The international legal regime for maritime security with UN charter and the convention on the law of the sea at its core strikes a careful balance between state sovereign rights, jurisdictions and freedoms and their duties and obligations and it provides a strong cooperative framework for addressing crimes at sea and ensuring accountability. However, this framework is only as strong a strong a states commitments to full and effective implementation. All states must live up to their obligations and they must resolve any differences in relation to maritime security in accordance with UN charter. Second, we need to intensify efforts to address the root causes of maritime insecurity. Threats to maritime security cannot be addressed without also addressing issues like poverty, a lack of alternative livelihoods, insecurity, and weak governance structures. Across the United Nations family, we are working with impoverished coastal communities to develop new opportunities for decent and sustainable work. Collectively, we must do more to reduce the likelihood that the desperate people will turn to crime and other activities that threaten maritime security and degrade our ocean environment. We must help developing countries build their capacity to deal with these threats through technology, training, capacity building, judicial reforms, and modernized naval forces, marine police units, maritime surveillance, and port security. And we need to ensure that our oceans and seas can continue thriving and support humanity's economic, social, cultural, and environmental development for generations to come. The upcoming oceans conference in NIS will provide an important moment for the countries of the world to take action. And third, we need partnerships and this at all levels. We must involve everyone, everyone with a stake in maritime spaces in the action we take in this area from coastal communities to governments and regional groups to shipping companies, flag registries, the fishing and extractive industries, insurers as well as port operators. without forgetting this very council which has drawn attention to maritime security and the need for collective action, deescalation and cooperation as well as civil society groups, those focused on women and girls. Women and girls who are disproportionately affected by scourges such as piracy and human trafficking. As for threats to maritime security, they're becoming more complex and interconnected. Thus, it is absolutely vital to ensure enhanced coordination and stronger maritime governance. Mr. President, the United Nations system stands ready to continue supporting this council and all member states in ensuring peaceful, secure, and prosperous maritime spaces for generations to come. Let's take action to support and secure maritime spaces as well as the communities and the people who count on them. I thank you. Thank you, Secretary General, for these very insightful comments. And I would like now like to give the floor to Mrs. Melina Travlos.