India and Liberia Launch UN Group of Friends on Shipping and Seafarer Safety at UNGA 2026

Key facts

• India and Liberia launched a grouping called the 'Group of Friends on Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers', which met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's High Level Week in New York on September 25, 2026.
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the grouping would include major ship owning nations, countries with the largest number of ship registries, and those providing the largest number of seafarers.
• Jaishankar cited the death of an Indian sailor in an attack on the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged carrier MV Cape Dove in the Gulf of Oman two days before the event.
• Oceanic trade accounts for roughly 80% of international trade and is conducted by nearly two million seafarers.
• Prime Minister Modi proposed a seafarers emergency support network to connect maritime authorities and embassies, facilitating distress alerts, medical alerts, family communication and evacuation support, a proposal Jaishankar referenced including at the BRICS Summit earlier in September 2026.