The UK published a new National Strategy for Maritime Security (NSMS) on 15 August 2022.
The NSMS comes at a critical time for the UK maritime sector. Maritime security is key to delivering the UK’s ambitions in foreign, security and defence policy, as well as for blue economic growth and environmental sustainability.
At the same time, maritime threats – from hostile states, terrorist groups, and blue crimes such as smuggling, piracy, and illegal fishing – continue to evolve and multiply. Climate change, over-exploitation and biodiversity loss pose new risks to the oceans and UK maritime interests.
The NSMS orchestrates the UK response to these challenges, bringing together multiple departments and agencies in a ‘whole system’ approach to protecting UK security interests at sea. It consolidates the priorities and architectures of UK maritime security governance and establishes an ambitious and forward-looking roadmap for the future.
Reflecting this whole system approach, the NSMS was a product of a collaborative writing and review process, led by the DfT. The 27 sections of the document were produced by over 50 specialists from different UK maritime security stakeholders, in close dialogue with academia and industry.
SafeSeas and the University of Bristol were privileged to be part of this effort and are delighted that our research was able to inform the strategy process. We look forward to engaging with UK maritime security actors and assisting with the strategy implementation process in future.
You can read more about SafesSeas work on the NSMS here:
- Time to Make it Count: Implementing the UK’s New Maritime Security Strategy, PolicyBristol Report 71, July 2022.
- Innovation and New Strategy Choices: Refreshing the UK’s National Strategy for Maritime Security, RUSI Journal, 166: 4, 2021.
- A more detailed archive of our commentaries and publications on UK maritime security can be found here.