On 12 October 2026, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, announced a global Pledge on maintaining the integrity of the International Law of the Sea – No fees, no tolls. All EU Member States support the pledge, along with 33 countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Among them are Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Why it matters
The pledge describes straits used for international navigation as “global lifelines” rather than regional waterways. Their safety and security depend on three things: respect for international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), restraint by all parties, and sustained multilateral cooperation.
The text calls UNCLOS “the constitution of the oceans” and stresses that the Convention is universal and unified. It sets the legal framework for all activities at sea, and the supporters say its integrity has to be maintained.
The pledge also notes that recent disruptions to maritime routes, including in strategically vital waterways, have shown what happens when these principles are disregarded. The effects reached international trade, energy flows, supply chains and food security. Imposing restrictions, conditions or discriminatory measures on lawful passage through international straits would, it warns, “set a dangerous precedent for global strategic waterways.”
Three commitments
Supporters commit to:
- Champion multilateral cooperation. They will work within and support international and regional maritime governance, safety and security institutions, in particular the International Maritime Organization (IMO). They will also back defensive, non-escalatory initiatives that preserve freedom of navigation.
- Reject coercion and unilateral action. They will reject any coercive or unilateral action that undermines or circumvents the rules-based order under UNCLOS.
- Oppose measures that hamper lawful navigation. These include unlawful fees and tolls, discriminatory restrictions, prior-authorisation requirements and other conditions on passage through international straits. Supporters also oppose attempts to change the legal framework that governs the right of passage.
Read the full text
The full pledge and the list of supporting countries are on the EEAS website.
For more info: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/pledge-maintaining-integrity-international-law-sea_en