Maritime threats lack serious consideration by the states – Dr. Maliha Zeba Khan

The seminar titled ‘Blue Talks: Enhancing the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Oceans and their Resources by Implementing International Laws’ was jointly organized by the National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA), Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), and the Portuguese Embassy in Pakistan on June 7, 2022. Sharing her views Dr. Maliha discussed how the discourse of security has changed from traditional to non-traditional. While states possess better operational preparedness for traditional threats, non-traditional threats, including most maritime threats, still lack serious consideration by states. She said that the role which must be played by international organizations in governing and managing the oceans is largely missing. She also highlighted the absence of rules on the high seas which accentuates the challenges for law enforcement. She stated that all of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are relevant to oceans and, in this domain; there is a lack of national practices, regional responses, and international actions, which must be strengthened to ensure improvement.