UNSC Statement on Emerging Technologies and Maritime Security
Statement delivered by H.E. Mr. James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative for Australia to the United Nations
26 October 2026
Thank you, President. Let me commend you on Greece’s leadership on maritime security during your term.
For Australia, as a major maritime nation, we rely heavily on a free, open and secure maritime domain, managed in accordance with international law.
We welcome the focus of today’s debate because we agree technology is a transformative force in maritime security. That it will generate new opportunities while introducing evolving security challenges, and this is a matter of concern squarely within the purview of the Security Council.
Our response to these challenges must be anchored in agreed rules and norms.
Global cooperation on responding to all maritime threats – including those involving technology – must be anchored in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. UNCLOS sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out.
Australia is deeply concerned that so often reality does not reflect these rules. That we see countries pursue claims or engage in activities in the maritime domain that are inconsistent with international law.
We oppose behaviour that risks miscalculation and escalation in the South China Sea, or activity that is provocative or destabilising.
We call for de-escalation and an end to the conflict in the Middle East. We want to see the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait fully re-opened.
And we want an end to damage to undersea cables in the Indo-Pacific and in the Baltic.
President, technology offers opportunities to strengthen resilience and enhance economic opportunity.
Australia is investing in supporting our regional partners to meet maritime challenges.
In doing so, we are embracing the opportunities that novel technologies offer.
In the Pacific, we’re providing satellite data and building greater analytical expertise through the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, which delivers fisheries maritime domain awareness training and intelligence analysis support to the region.
In Southeast Asia, we're harnessing cutting edge Reef Scan technology to protect corals, enhance maritime domain awareness and support sustainable marine resource management.
And in the Indian Ocean, we're supporting regional responses to emerging threats by providing training and equipment to strengthen maritime domain awareness and enable partners to better detect and respond to maritime threats. This includes drone training for vessel detection and hydrographic equipment.
President, while technology presents opportunities to enhance maritime security, it also poses challenges. We are confronted with the use of advanced weapons or autonomous and remotely operated systems that are destabilising and unsafe.
It is imperative that parties respect international law, including international humanitarian law, in the use of new and emerging technologies. And we must leverage existing multilateral processes to agree norms and clarify how rules apply to new behaviours in novel situations.
We are pleased to have contributed to the successful consensus result on lethal autonomous weapons systems through the Group of Governmental Experts under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in September. And we hold high ambitions for the role of the UN’s new Global Mechanism to deliver practical outcomes on responsible State behaviour in cyberspace. We have also contributed to important discussions on emerging technologies and the law of naval warfare as part of the ICRC’s Global Initiative on IHL. Investing in these and other processes can deliver security dividends in all domains, including maritime.
As we confront new and ongoing challenges, it is vital that we act and lift our voices in support of existing legal frameworks, particularly UNCLOS, to shape the maritime domain we want - ocean, seas and waterways where all countries can cooperate, trade and thrive.
Thank you.