The UN efforts to address the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz - the narrow chokepoint through which roughly a third of global fertiliser trade and crude oil, and a fifth of liquefied natural gas, normally transit - has become the most contested maritime corridor of our time. Since tanker traffic through the strait came to a near-standstill, the consequences have rapidly extended far beyond energy markets: the World Food Programme estimates that the disruption could push 45 million more people into hunger and starvation, as countries already weakened by conflict and climate shocks face acute shortages of the fertilisers they depend on for their agricultural seasons.

Against this backdrop, UN Secretary-General António Guterres established a task force to facilitate the safe passage of fertilisers and related raw materials for humanitarian purposes.

That task force is headed by Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of UNOPS. He is leading the design of a one-stop platform capable of approving and monitoring shipments through the Strait: an operational mechanism built on what he identifies as the UN's most critical asset in moments of conflict: the capacity to build trust. 

With: 

• Jorge Moreira da Silva, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director;
• Julien Serre, PSIA Faculty