KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE MR ZAQY MOHAMAD, AT THE 9TH INTERNATIONAL MARITIME SECURITY CONFERENCE ON 6 MAY 2025

MINDEF Officials,

Service Chiefs,

Directors-General,

Heads of Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

Welcome to the 9th International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC) and to Singapore. Since its inception in 2009, the IMSC has served as a vital platform for maritime stakeholders and decision makers to come together in open and purposeful dialogue about the maritime domain. Through shared perspectives and interests, we continue to seek practical frameworks and collaborative solutions to deal with the security challenges that confront us all. 

The theme for IMSC has remained constant over the years – Safe and Secure Seas. This enduring commitment centres on three key priorities: First, upholding a rules-based order; Second, preserving peace in the global maritime commons; and Third, building trust through practical cooperation and dialogue. These three pillars continue to guide our work, and tonight, I will speak on each of them in turn, beginning with the rules-based maritime order.

Preserving and Strengthening the Rules-based Maritime Order

As we look at the world today, the oceans have never been more central to our daily lives. Over 90% of global trade is carried by sea, and more than 95% of the world’s international communications data is transmitted via underwater cables, and this connects distant shores and supports economies worldwide. The maritime domain has become a lifeline for nations, driving economic activity, cultural exchange, and geopolitical influence. Yet, with such interconnectedness comes a responsibility – a responsibility to ensure that the rules that govern our oceans are respected by all.

At its core, a rules-based maritime order refers to a set of established international laws and norms that govern the use of the seas. These rules are enshrined in treaties and conventions including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the International Maritime Organisation Collision Regulations (COLREGs). But the significance of a rules-based order extends far beyond the legal framework, and this includes the attitudes and norms of behaviours which guide usIt ensures that no one state, or actor can unilaterally claim or disrupt the established rights of others. It promotes stability by encouraging predictable behaviour, fostering diplomatic dialogue as an avenue to peaceful resolution between parties, and deterring unlawful activities such as piracy and illegal fishing.

However, as strategic competition intensifies and pressure on maritime resources grows, the norms and institutions that govern the seas are under unprecedented strain. We are seeing a rise in unilateral actions, excessive maritime claims, coercive behaviours, and militarisation of disputed waters. Over in Europe, underwater telecommunications and energy cables and pipelines have been damaged or cut, causing disruptions. These trends not only risk regional stability, but the very integrity of this international legal framework.

Defending the rules-based maritime order is not a burden for any one country. It is a shared responsibility by the international community. All of us here. I am  heartened that we have over 450 guests from navies, coast guards, maritime industries, academia, and think tanks all converging here this week. Together, we advance our shared commitment to safe and secure seas.

Maintaining Peace Amid a Challenging Maritime Security Landscape

The stability of the seas are deeply shaped by geopolitical dynamics – the rise of major powers, shifting alliances, and ongoing territorial disputes.

For instance, the South China Sea – an area that is rich in resources and vital shipping routes – has become a flashpoint of strategic competition and overlapping maritime claims. At the same time, transnational issues such as terrorism, piracy, drugs, human trafficking, and illegal smuggling persist; growing more frequent, more coordinated, and violent in nature.

In response, countries are building capabilities and reinforcing their military presence at sea. These are understandable measures to safeguard national interests. However, as positions harden on all sides, so too does the risk of miscalculations, where a single incident at sea could escalate into a wider conflict with far-reaching consequences. Such a scenario would destabilise the region and undermine the global commons that we have worked so hard to preserve and protect.

Hence, it is important that the maintenance of peace remains a shared responsibility – one that demands sustained cooperation from regional and international stakeholders. All parties must remain committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes, guided by dialogue, diplomacy, and international law.

This brings me to my third and final point – the strengthening of mutual trust and understanding through practical cooperation and dialogue.

Practical Cooperation and Dialogue

In this region, we have a broad and substantive agenda of cooperation and dialogue. Our navies and coast guards conduct maritime exercises such as the ASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercise (AMNEX) and the Maritime Information Sharing Exercise (MARISX) to foster interoperability, mutual trust and cooperation, and for capacity-building as well. We also look to extra-regional players such as the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) and the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) partners, to establish opportunities for exchanges. Some of these include the Regional Maritime Security Practitioners Programme (RMPP), Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK), and ASEAN-Plus-One Maritime Exercises.

Complementing these are practical cooperative measures to tackle common maritime challenges at the operational level. One such example is the Malacca Straits Patrols – a joint effort by Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand – comprising “Eyes-in-the-Sky”, combined maritime air patrols, sea patrols, and an intelligence exchange group. Since its inception in 2005, it has yielded tangible results and it has contributed substantially to bringing piracy levels down in regional waterways – the Straits today are no longer flagged as a “high risk war zone” under international watchlists. That is one example of how international collaboration and cooperation has yielded results.

Another example is the CORPAT INDOSIN operation – it is a bilateral initiative between Indonesia and Singapore to safeguard the Singapore Strait and Philip Channel through coordinated patrols, information-sharing, and joint responses at sea.

These cooperative maritime groupings, together with information-sharing platforms such as the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) and the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), help foster trust and interoperability between our militaries and coast guards. In turn, this builds more predictable, constructive relationships and lowers the risk of miscalculation and unintended escalation at sea.

That said, we cannot stop here. At the strategic level, open and inclusive dialogue remains essential to building confidence amongst policymakers, which the larger maritime community takes the lead from. Central to these efforts are platforms such as the IMSC. Because I think there is a lot of work we can do here, collaboratively, and (to) exchange dialogue and ideas.

This week’s conference will cover key issues – from the implications of geopolitical developments to ways that we can strengthen cooperation in an increasingly contested maritime environment. We have also lined up discussion panels on emerging and evolving threats in the maritime domain – including grey zone contestation, and disruption or damage to critical undersea infrastructure. Through robust and candid discourse, we aim to deepen mutual understanding and trust with one another, and pave the way for more effective solutions to the maritime challenges that we face today.

Conclusion

“Safe and Secure Seas” is a necessary foundation for the well-being of our nations and the global economy. Without it, our ability to  secure a prosperous future is at risk

In closing, let us reaffirm our shared responsibility – to safeguard the sea lanes that unite us; to build bridges rather than barriers; and to remain steadfast in our commitment to maintain peace in the maritime commons, even when the tides are turbulent.

I wish all participants a fruitful conference and to have wonderful dialogues ahead. Thank you.

More Resources

Maintenance of Peace Demands Sustained Cooperation from Regional and International Stakeholders: Mr Zaqy Mohamad