uman life on land in the 21st century could not function without a sustained heavy reliance on the sea. While it may be hard to fathom, 90% of all global trade moves in the roughly 60,000 ocean–going vessels that are at sea at any given time. That includes everything from food to clothes to electronics to energy supplies. Every country in the world—whether an island, coastal or landlocked—relies on the maritime domain for its trade. Indeed, “no shipping, no shopping” is as much a fact as it is a catchy phrase. At the same time, more than 20% of global dietary protein intake comes from seafood, and in some countries that figure is as high as 90%. Our reliance is higher with telecoms; 99% of all telephonic and internet communication traverses the network of nearly 500 submarine cables that rest on the ocean floor. There are few people on earth who do not touch the benefits of the maritime domain every single day. Yet no country on earth has appointed an Ambassador at Large for Maritime Affairs, credentialed to work with states, institutions and companies around the world on the maritime issues that are arising on an increasingly frequent basis.
When the EVER GIVEN got stuck in the Suez Canal for just six days in March 2021, Price Waterhouse Cooper calculated that the incident cost the shipping industry a whopping $415,000,000 per hour. At the same time, fuel shortages occurred in different places and goods did not arrive on time to meet critical needs. When the DALI struck the Key Bridge in Baltimore in March 2024, causing it to collapse, the incident generated roughly $8 billion in losses. But at the same time, the largest roll–on–roll off port in America became inaccessible to the import and export of cars, trucks, tractors, farm equipment, and industrial vehicles—creating critical supply chain problems. When the Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea in November 2023, the resulting rerouting of roughly 30% of global containerized traffic created an array of supply chain challenges. And when the various major oil spill incidents have occurred in recent years, not only the food supply of fish, but the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people in the fishing sector have been put in jeopardy.
Most countries have ambassadors for bilateral relations with other states, and multilateral relations with key institutions like the United Nations. Yet the maritime domain, with the specific expertise required to understand it, falls outside most ambassadorial roles—despite its vast importance. Even some of the maritime institutions—like the International Maritime Organization or the Food and Agricultural Organization—are so specialized and limited in their mandates that they are not able to be responsive to maritime issues as they arise, and many key maritime issues fall outside the mandates of any such bodies. Furthermore, when it comes to operations, it is only states that can take action under national legal authorities. That is why an Ambassador at Large for Maritime Affairs, able to cover the spectrum of issues that arise in the maritime domain, would be so valuable. The world’s “just in time” model of shipping cannot afford more strategic shocks, and the world’s depleted fish stocks cannot afford delays in addressing critical threats.
Ambassadors at large, usually for functional matters, have existed in different countries for generations and the numbers of them have grown over the last half–century. For decades, the U.S. has had a varying number of ambassadors at large including for Counterterrorism, Monitoring and Countering Trafficking in Persons, and Global Criminal Justice.
Those are important issues. But safeguarding the global economy and critical supply chains impacting the lives of every person on earth is no less important. Ambassadors at Large for Maritime Affairs should be established with demonstrable individual expertise and a small support staff that help round out the skills needed to cover all the issues. Whether the ambassador in any given place comes from a shipping, naval, fishing, maritime law enforcement, or legal background, there is almost no chance that they will have familiarity across the spectrum of maritime considerations. At a minimum, it is important, therefore, that the ambassador at large, together with the support staff, have a solid foundation in maritime law and law of the sea, maritime security, naval affairs, shipping and trade across the spectrum of maritime sectors, the fisheries industry and marine environmental considerations, coastal tourism, underwater cultural heritage, and blue economic development.
The world cannot afford the maritime domain to stop functioning. An increasing array of disruptors threaten the sustained flow of maritime commerce and use of the maritime domain for everything from fishing to recreation. Every state on earth has a vested interest in reducing the threat of disruption and ensuring the sustained, if not increased reliance on the maritime domain for the enrichment of the world and the betterment of life on land. To help facilitate an enhancement in the security, stability and prosperity of the world’s oceans and waterways, every state should start by appointing an Ambassador at Large for Maritime Affairs.
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Why every state needs an Ambassador at Large for Maritime Affairs
October 21, 2025
In the second of a multi–part series examining the current state of maritime affairs, Dr. Ian M. Ralby argues that states can safeguard the global economy and critical supply chains by appointing ambassadors at large for maritime affairs.
H
uman life on land in the 21st century could not function without a sustained heavy reliance on the sea. While it may be hard to fathom, 90% of all global trade moves in the roughly 60,000 ocean–going vessels that are at sea at any given time. That includes everything from food to clothes to electronics to energy supplies. Every country in the world—whether an island, coastal or landlocked—relies on the maritime domain for its trade. Indeed, “no shipping, no shopping” is as much a fact as it is a catchy phrase. At the same time, more than 20% of global dietary protein intake comes from seafood, and in some countries that figure is as high as 90%. Our reliance is higher with telecoms; 99% of all telephonic and internet communication traverses the network of nearly 500 submarine cables that rest on the ocean floor. There are few people on earth who do not touch the benefits of the maritime domain every single day. Yet no country on earth has appointed an Ambassador at Large for Maritime Affairs, credentialed to work with states, institutions and companies around the world on the maritime issues that are arising on an increasingly frequent basis.
When the EVER GIVEN got stuck in the Suez Canal for just six days in March 2021, Price Waterhouse Cooper calculated that the incident cost the shipping industry a whopping $415,000,000 per hour. At the same time, fuel shortages occurred in different places and goods did not arrive on time to meet critical needs. When the DALI struck the Key Bridge in Baltimore in March 2024, causing it to collapse, the incident generated roughly $8 billion in losses. But at the same time, the largest roll–on–roll off port in America became inaccessible to the import and export of cars, trucks, tractors, farm equipment, and industrial vehicles—creating critical supply chain problems. When the Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea in November 2023, the resulting rerouting of roughly 30% of global containerized traffic created an array of supply chain challenges. And when the various major oil spill incidents have occurred in recent years, not only the food supply of fish, but the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people in the fishing sector have been put in jeopardy.
Most countries have ambassadors for bilateral relations with other states, and multilateral relations with key institutions like the United Nations. Yet the maritime domain, with the specific expertise required to understand it, falls outside most ambassadorial roles—despite its vast importance. Even some of the maritime institutions—like the International Maritime Organization or the Food and Agricultural Organization—are so specialized and limited in their mandates that they are not able to be responsive to maritime issues as they arise, and many key maritime issues fall outside the mandates of any such bodies. Furthermore, when it comes to operations, it is only states that can take action under national legal authorities. That is why an Ambassador at Large for Maritime Affairs, able to cover the spectrum of issues that arise in the maritime domain, would be so valuable. The world’s “just in time” model of shipping cannot afford more strategic shocks, and the world’s depleted fish stocks cannot afford delays in addressing critical threats.
Ambassadors at large, usually for functional matters, have existed in different countries for generations and the numbers of them have grown over the last half–century. For decades, the U.S. has had a varying number of ambassadors at large including for Counterterrorism, Monitoring and Countering Trafficking in Persons, and Global Criminal Justice.
Those are important issues. But safeguarding the global economy and critical supply chains impacting the lives of every person on earth is no less important. Ambassadors at Large for Maritime Affairs should be established with demonstrable individual expertise and a small support staff that help round out the skills needed to cover all the issues. Whether the ambassador in any given place comes from a shipping, naval, fishing, maritime law enforcement, or legal background, there is almost no chance that they will have familiarity across the spectrum of maritime considerations. At a minimum, it is important, therefore, that the ambassador at large, together with the support staff, have a solid foundation in maritime law and law of the sea, maritime security, naval affairs, shipping and trade across the spectrum of maritime sectors, the fisheries industry and marine environmental considerations, coastal tourism, underwater cultural heritage, and blue economic development.
The world cannot afford the maritime domain to stop functioning. An increasing array of disruptors threaten the sustained flow of maritime commerce and use of the maritime domain for everything from fishing to recreation. Every state on earth has a vested interest in reducing the threat of disruption and ensuring the sustained, if not increased reliance on the maritime domain for the enrichment of the world and the betterment of life on land. To help facilitate an enhancement in the security, stability and prosperity of the world’s oceans and waterways, every state should start by appointing an Ambassador at Large for Maritime Affairs.
