Kuwait says exploiting sea routes for pressure amounts to “legal piracy”

The State of Kuwait has warned that turning international maritime straits into tools of political or financial pressure amounts to “legal piracy,” cautioning that such actions could disrupt global supply chains and hinder the delivery of medical and technological innovations.

The statement was delivered by Nasser Al Hayen, Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, during the 67th session of the Assemblies of Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Al Hayen stressed that safeguarding international navigation routes—particularly the Strait of Hormuz—is vital to ensuring the uninterrupted flow of innovation, technology, and trade. He warned that imposing unlawful restrictions or fees on vessels violates international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

He also reiterated Kuwait’s condemnation of actions by Iran and its regional allies, stating that such activities threaten critical infrastructure, including ports and research centres, and undermine state sovereignty and regional stability.

The ambassador highlighted broader risks linked to rising security tensions, including increased piracy, trafficking in counterfeit goods, cyberattacks, and theft of research data—issues he said are incompatible with global intellectual property agreements such as TRIPS.

Concluding his remarks, Al Hayen called for urgent international cooperation to protect innovation systems and global trade routes, urging stronger enforcement of international laws to safeguard scientific progress and economic stability.