Malacca Strait Nations Pledge Open, Safe Waters at Singapore Forum

Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore gathered in Singapore on August 25 to reaffirm their commitment to keeping the Straits of Malacca and Singapore free, open and safe for international shipping.

The pledge came at the 17th Co-operation Forum on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. The statement was issued jointly by Indonesia's Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Malaysia's Marine Department, and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

Singapore's transport minister Jeffrey Siow put the stakes plainly: "Events in the Middle East this year reminded the world that open sea lanes cannot be taken for granted."

The forum covers one of the world's most-used shipping corridors. About a quarter of the world's traded goods move through the straits each year.

The three governments reaffirmed that the straits qualify as a Strait Used for International Navigation under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, where the right of transit passage applies. They stressed the importance of respecting those navigational rights in practice, not just on paper.

The cooperative framework dates to 2007. It was the first practical implementation of Article 43 of UNCLOS, which calls for cooperation between bordering states and user states on navigational safety and environmental protection. The international maritime community has contributed approximately $26 million to support Malacca Strait navigation projects since that framework began.