On Wednesday 22rd January 2025, a UN working group established in July 2005 pursuant to the Commission on Human Rights resolution 2005/2, visited Sea Guardian’s Office in Limassol. The group was headed by Ms. Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito and Ms. Michelle Small, while Sea Guardian was represented by the chairman of the board Admiral (ret.) John Pavlopoulos, the operation manager Mr Dimitrios Fakiolas, the sales manager Mr. Manos Papagrigorakis, the HR coordinator Mr Vassilis Michail and Mr. John Sarris, the Operations Coordinator.
The objective of the visit of was to collect information and examine issues relevant to the UN mandate related to the use of mercenaries in violating human rights, and to hold a dialogue with Sea Guardian in the field of maritime security operations on merchant vessels in the high-risk area (HRA) of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The UN officials examined the operational directives Sea Guardian has followed during its 13 years of operational life involving thousands of HRA safe passages, in compliance with relevant legislative and institutional frameworks established by the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the best practices followed by its operational teams for the protection and promotion of human rights and international humanitarian law.
The UN working group is a mandate established under the UN Human Rights Council. The findings of the visit will ultimately be included in a report presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council in September 2025.
As the President of Sea Guardian noted to the UN officials on the visit, which was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, the occasion was a great honour and a recognition to the services provided by the company to protect the lives of seafarers at sea and the property of shipping companies, in a volatile environment especially over the last 16 months when the Houthi attacks in the HRA “wounded” significantly the sea lines of communication in the Red Sea.
The visit was deemed to have provided information of great value for the 2025 report of the UN group to the international body’s General Assembly.
