Thank you, Chair.
Australia commends the work of the IMO to safeguard the safety of stranded civilian seafarers and re-open the Strait of Hormuz.
Australia welcomes the extended ceasefire between the United States and Iran, and we call for negotiations to continue. The priority must be to avoid escalation and find a swift end to this conflict.
Iran's de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, together with its attacks on the territories, including territorial waters, of members of the GCC and Jordan, as well as on commercial vessels, civilian infrastructure, and oil and gas facilities, has caused unprecedented energy supply shocks around the world. The longer this war drags on, the more significant the impact on the global economy will be, the more risk to food security, and the greater the human cost.
Iran's threats and attacks against civilian vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz are unacceptable. We commend the work of the IMO and the Secretary-General to protect seafarer safety in these awful circumstances.
The IMO must also recognise the risk to the marine environment presented by Iran's threats and attacks on merchant vessels, including the large number of oil tankers stranded in the region due to Iran's dangerous de facto closure of the Strait. The risk of large-scale environmental pollution is unacceptable.
Australia commends the UAE for its submission recalling the Council's decisions at its 36th Extraordinary Session. We align with the delegations that have spoken before us - demanding that Iran cease its attacks and threats against commercial and merchant vessels, critical port infrastructure and coastal civilian infrastructure. We agree that alongside the immense human cost, the threat these attacks place on the marine environment is unacceptable, as is the impact on livelihoods, desalination, and water security in the region.
We support inviting the Secretary-General, in cooperation with relevant UN agencies and regional organisations, to monitor the impact of Iran's actions and threats against merchant vessels and civilian infrastructure on the marine environment and relevant parties keeping the Committee informed of any developments in that context.
Australia will continue to support UN action, and efforts by international partners to ensure seafarer safety, and transit in accordance with international law, and the protection of the marine environment.
We again call on Iran and its proxies to cease their dangerous and destabilising attacks.
We ask that our Statement be appended to the report of this Committee.
Thank you.
