Seventeen countries launch framework to protect critical underwater infrastructure

Singapore: Seventeen countries, including Singapore, have launched a new framework to protect critical underwater infrastructure at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

The initiative, known as the Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges (GUIDE), aims to bring together nations with shared interests in safeguarding key assets such as subsea telecommunications cables.

Speaking on the sidelines of Asia’s leading defence summit, Singapore’s Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said countries must work together to establish international norms to build, maintain and protect such infrastructure, and to hold accountable those who threaten it.

According to Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), the GUIDE framework outlines shared principles and areas where defence establishments could collaborate to enhance underwater infrastructure security. It is voluntary and does not create legal or financial obligations, nor does it affect existing rights under international law.

The countries endorsing the framework include Australia, Brunei, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

MINDEF added that the initiative demonstrates how countries can collaborate across regions to develop norms in emerging domains, regardless of geography.

Chan said underwater infrastructure is increasingly vital, noting that it supports global energy and telecommunications networks. He warned that any disruption could have widespread consequences, adding that “any attack on one part of the network is an attack on the entire network.”