Sri Lanka Joins Global Pledge to Keep Sea Routes Free and Open

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has joined a global pledge aimed at maintaining the integrity of international maritime law and safeguarding the free passage of vessels through key international waterways. The initiative, known as the“No Fees/No Tolls” Pledge, was announced by the Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union, and has received support from a broad coalition of countries across multiple regions.

The pledge reaffirms support for the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and emphasizes that straits used for international navigation are global lifelines that play a critical role in international trade, energy flows, supply chains and food security.

Under the declaration, participating countries commit to supporting multilateral cooperation on maritime governance, safety and security, while preserving a stable and open maritime order based on international law. They also pledge to reject coercive or unilateral actions that seek to undermine the existing legal framework governing international navigation.

The signatories further commit to opposing unlawful fees, tolls, discriminatory restrictions, prior authorization requirements and other measures that could hamper lawful navigation through straits used for international navigation. The pledge states that such measures would set a dangerous precedent for strategically important waterways around the world.

The pledge is supported by all EU Member States and 34 countries from around the world: Australia, Bahrain, Benin, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cook Islands, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, Iceland, Japan, Jordan, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia,  Mauritania, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Palau, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Turkmenistan, the United Kingdom, and Yemen.