At UN assembly, Greek prime minister highlights UNCLOS and warns of threats to sea lanes

Kiryakos Mitsakis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, told the General Assembly that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides a binding framework — with 172 parties, he said — for managing maritime disputes peacefully. He urged protection of freedom of navigation and called on states to uphold international law to prevent escalation.

"Few examples are more powerful than the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea with 172 parties," Mitsakis said, arguing that UNCLOS enables disputes to be managed peacefully rather than through force. He warned that strategic maritime routes from the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea to the Indo-Pacific are increasingly arenas of geopolitical confrontation.

Mitsakis noted that Greece, as a leading maritime nation, contributes to maritime security and cited European Union operations in the Red Sea. He said safeguarding commercial shipping and freedom of navigation is a collective responsibility, and pledged that maritime security will be a priority when Greece assumes the Security Council presidency next month.

Why it matters: The speech links maritime law, commerce and security at a moment of heightened tensions in several sea corridors. By foregrounding UNCLOS and operational commitments, Mitsakis framed maritime security as both an economic and strategic priority for Greece's upcoming international role.