UN chief calls for efforts to address root causes of maritime insecurity

UNITED NATIONS, May 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday stressed the 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," he told a Security Council open debate.

"Across the United Nations family, we're working with impoverished coastal communities to develop new opportunities for decent and sustainable work. Collectively, we must do more to reduce the likelihood that desperate people will turn to crime and other activities that threaten maritime security and degrade our ocean environment," said Guterres.

He also highlighted the need to 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. Enditem