Maritime issues should top Somalia’s UN Security Council agenda
Somalia’s two-year council term is a chance to leverage its strategic position at the crossroads of international maritime trade.
Published on 18 February 2025 in
ISS Today
By
Denys Reva
Researcher, Africa in the World, ISS Pretoria
For the first time since 1971, Somalia has been elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for two years, starting on 1 January 2025. Mogadishu has not yet announced priorities for its tenure, but the maritime domain should occupy an important place, given Somalia’s history and location at the crossroads of international maritime trade.
Maritime issues have increasingly featured during UNSC debates, and African states have actively used the council to draw international attention to pressing maritime matters. Ghana, as one of the three African member states (A3) elected to the council in 2022-2023, led discussions on piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and Sierra Leone coordinated Africa’s engagement during negotiations on the 2023 High Seas Treaty.
Somalia can use its UNSC seat to shape the global maritime agenda and bring its own pressing domestic challenges to the fore. Maritime security and governance are already becoming central to Somalia’s diplomatic and economic engagements and ambitions.
In January, Ethiopia and Somalia seemingly resolved their diplomatic feud, signing an agreement granting Addis Ababa access to port facilities in Somalia. Last year, Mogadishu also made a deal with Turkey, in which Ankara committed to bolster maritime security in Somalia through capacity building, training and joint patrols. These agreements could bring economic and investment opportunities to the country, potentially boosting coastal communities’ livelihoods.
The government of Somalia also recently unveiled an ambitious plan to develop its blue economy sector, targeting the fisheries and shipping industries and offshore oil and gas extraction. To succeed, however, Mogadishu and the country’s Federal States must monitor, protect and control its waters – something that has long been a challenge.
Of particular concern is the resurgence of piracy, which happens to coincide with Somalia’s UNSC tenure. Around eight incidents were reported in 2024, including three successful hijackings. This worrying trend started in 2023 when a bulk carrier was hijacked off the coast of Somalia – the first such attack since 2017. These are low numbers, but they confirm that piracy off Somalia’s coast has not been defeated, but merely suppressed.
A recent Solace Global risk assessment report identified several factors leading to the resurgence. These include a shift in international naval attention away from piracy and onto the instability off Yemen’s coast, as well as economic and governance deficits in Somalia. The report predicts piracy will likely continue to scupper regional maritime security in 2025.
This resurgence highlights that piracy is not just a maritime problem but a persistent symptom of Somalia’s governance and security challenges. Piracy also cannot be tackled by Somalia alone. A long-term solution requires sustained international support both at sea and onshore. The UNSC can drive continued international engagement, supporting Somali-led capacity building and reinforcing international legal frameworks against piracy.
Maritime security and governance are becoming central to Somalia’s diplomatic and economic ambitions
Climate-related insecurity also fuels conflict and violence in the country. Despite contributing very little to greenhouse gas emissions, Somalia is ranked as the second-most climate-vulnerable nation in the world and one of the least prepared to deal with climate issues, according to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative global climate index.
Risks brought on by the climate-peace-security nexus are particularly pronounced in Somalia’s coastal areas. Rising sea levels, more frequent extreme weather events, and changing ocean temperatures threaten coastal livelihoods, displace communities and intensify competition for scarce resources. Coastal cities such as Mogadishu and Kismayo are on the front lines of climate change and increasingly vulnerable to coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources, and the degradation of marine ecosystems.
At the same time, local communities face a declining fisheries harvest compared to foreign legal and illegal fishing companies. For instance, the United States’ International Trade Administration says in 2022 local artisanal fishers caught 6 000 tonnes, while industrial foreign vessels – mostly from China and the European Union – harvested over twice the local catch.
On the UNSC, Somalia can unlock technical support, funding and technology for maritime surveillance and enforcement
Although Somalia has the opportunity to advance the ocean-climate agenda on the UNSC, it must first sign the High Seas Treaty to signal its commitment to protecting national and international marine ecosystems. The country’s lack of participation in key international agreements leaves its waters vulnerable to overexploitation by foreign industrial vessels.
Other international initiatives, like the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) – which Somalia has signed – can markedly reduce illegal fishing in African waters. However, implementing the PSMA requires significant technical expertise, which Somalia lacks. Effective maritime diplomacy at the UNSC could bolster Somalia’s capacity and safeguard its marine resources, ensuring sustainable economic development for its poor coastal communities.
Somalia’s geostrategic position along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait – a critical chokepoint for global maritime trade – means that global powers will be keen to cooperate with Mogadishu. Diplomatic engagements with UNSC members could secure the resources needed to protect Somali waters and develop its blue economy.
Somalia’s future hinges on its ability to protect and harness its vast maritime resources
Better global ocean governance can significantly bolster a country’s domestic maritime activities. A compelling example is Kenya’s ratification of the UN Fish Stocks Agreement and establishment of the Kenya Maritime Authority to enforce international conventions and coordinate search and rescue missions. The country has also signed the High Seas fisheries governance conventions and the High Seas Treaty, and works with the International Maritime Organization to develop regulations for autonomous ships.
Somalia could significantly improve its maritime governance and blue economy by aligning its domestic policies with global standards, as Kenya has done. With stronger international engagement over the next two years, Somalia can unlock technical assistance, funding and technology to boost its maritime surveillance and enforcement capabilities.
The nation’s future hinges on its ability to protect and harness its vast maritime resources. Missing this opportunity would undermine Somalia’s interests and weaken Africa’s voice in global ocean governance. Success would ensure that Africa’s maritime concerns stay on the radar in UNSC discussions.
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