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India-Liberia Co-Launch UNGA “Group of Friends”
India and Liberia co-launch the “Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers” (GoF on S4) at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. India and Liberia serve as Co-Chairs for the group, which brings together 25 member nations focused on safety and security of shipping and seafarers.
UNGA GoF on S4:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| UN “Group of Friends” Mechanism | Functions as an informal, flexible association of UN member states that provides for building diplomatic consensus, facilitating inter-governmental consultations, and directing multilateral advocacy toward a shared thematic priority. |
| Membership | Brings together 25 member nations spanning major flag registries (e.g., Marshall Islands, Panama), major labor-supplying nations (e.g., Philippines), and ship-owning economies. |
| Liberia: Ship Registry | Liberia holds the world’s largest open ship registry by gross tonnage, flagging over 16% of global commercial vessels. |
| India: Seafarers Contribution | India ranks as the 2nd-largest supplier of seafarers globally, contributing nearly 10% of the world’s maritime workforce, with about 250,000 active Indian seafarers. |
| Core Mandate: Diplomatic Agenda | Provides for elevating maritime human security and seafarer protection into primary UN and International Maritime Organization (IMO) diplomatic agendas. |
| Core Mandate: Threat Response Coordination | Provides for coordinating responses to emerging high-seas threats ranging from Houthi drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb to piracy surges in the Gulf of Guinea and Somali basin. |
| Core Mandate: Crew Safety Protocols | Provides for securing diplomatic protocols for rapid evacuation, medical treatment, and repatriation of civilian crews caught in combat zones. |
| Trade Linkage | Safeguards global maritime supply chains, which carry over 80% of global trade by volume. |
| India Policy Reference | Provides for supporting Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, under which India’s policy target is to expand its share of the global seafaring workforce to 20% by 2047. |