New Technologies and the Transformation of the Maritime Security Agenda

The maritime domain is seeing major shifts through advancements in new technologies. Driven by sensor technology, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI), digitalization and automation are revolutionizing not only maritime industries but also maritime law enforcement and the countering of maritime threats, with major transformations taking place in surveillance and information-sharing, weapon systems, and maritime critical infrastructure. With these transformations, however, come a host of challenges for maritime security, made even more complex by the growing role of non-state actors and the blurring of boundaries between commercial activity, dual-use technology, and armed conflict at sea.

In view of the above, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) New York Office—in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations—hosted a workshop for Member States on New Technologies and the Transformation of the Maritime Security Agenda on June 22. The workshop featured expert input from Dr. Christian Bueger, International Relations Professor at the University of Copenhagen, and Research Fellow at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR); Dr. Giacomo Persi Paoli, Head of the Security and Technology Programme at UNIDIR; and Théo Girard, Regional Partnership Manager for the Eastern Atlantic Ocean & Indian Ocean at Skylight.

The workshop marks the first in a series on Improving the UN’s Role in Maritime Security Governance, organized in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Greece. The series will facilitate greater understanding of maritime security issues and how to respond to them, increase engagement on the maritime security agenda within the UN, and cultivate cross-regional exchange on the topic.

Key takeaways from the discussion included:

• As transport, energy, and communications infrastructure systems at sea are expanding, global waters have become increasingly crowded and vulnerable to a range of risks, from acts of war to cyber attacks to natural disasters.
• New technologies have made sea denial cheaper and more accessible. As a consequence, however, a growing number of malicious actors have been able to exploit maritime technologies across the sub-surface, surface, air/space, and cyber domains, thus transforming the entire notion of maritime security.
• Maritime security hinges on knowledge of what is happening at sea. However, most datasets available are not developed for maritime security risks (for example, Automatic Identification System/AIS datasets which track maritime traffic); further, most agencies lack the capacity to track vessels continuously. Artificial intelligence has opened opportunities to turn unwieldy datasets into relevant and actionable datasets.
• International law, and in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), provides an important foundation to address these emerging challenges; at the same time, though, it is difficult for any one legal instrument to keep apace of evolving threats. That said, maritime security merits greater attention and a more proactive approach from the international community. Recommendations underscored the need for an information-sharing framework and greater coordination at the United Nations (UN) level, as well as increased capacity-building for vulnerable countries.