One ship every five minutes between Morocco and Spain: Rabat seeks new rules for straits

Nasser Bourita presented this initiative on Thursday, September 17, in New York, during a meeting devoted to freedom of navigation and the security of maritime routes. Convened by Bahrain under the Arria formula, the meeting was linked to the Security Council without constituting an official session of the Council.

The Moroccan foreign minister proposed launching an international discussion on drawing up a code of conduct for states bordering strategic straits. The aim would be to keep these passages open, safe and predictable despite growing geopolitical tensions. His statement is available on the UN website.

Bourita cited Gibraltar as an example, one of the busiest maritime routes in the world. According to the figures he presented, nearly 100,000 ships pass through the strait each year, or nearly 300 a day and approximately one every five minutes.

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Morocco believes that its geographical position imposes a particular responsibility on it. For Rabat, a coastal state must not regard a strait as its property or use its position to exert pressure on other countries. Managing these passages constitutes “a responsibility, not ownership,” Bourita summed up.

The proposed code would be based in particular on respect for international law, freedom of navigation and the continuity of commercial exchanges. At this stage, however, it is neither a negotiated agreement nor a project adopted by the United Nations, but a diplomatic initiative submitted for discussion.

An international forum proposed in Morocco

The meeting, entitled “Safe Seas, Shared Security,” had been prepared by Bahrain amid heightened tensions around maritime routes. The Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb have experienced attacks, blockades or threats in recent years that could disrupt global trade.

According to Security Council Report, Bahrain had invited Security Council members as well as other interested states to examine ways of protecting navigation in an increasingly unstable security environment.

Morocco is now proposing to organize an international forum on the security of straits with Bahrain. The meeting, which would be held in the kingdom, would serve to share best practices and further develop the proposed code of conduct.

Morocco’s choice is directly based on its position on the shores of Gibraltar. The strait links the Mediterranean to the Atlantic and concentrates a significant share of maritime flows between Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. On its southern shore, Tanger Med has become the world’s 16th-largest container port, while Algeciras is one of Europe’s main hubs.

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The proposal thus enables Rabat to move beyond the sole management of the Strait of Gibraltar and position itself in the international debate on the security of major maritime routes. The question now is whether other coastal states will agree to turn this initiative into common principles.