Commentary

The Human Face of Piracy: Pakistan’s Response

by

By Christian Bueger Pakistan is one of the frontier countries in the fight against piracy. Piracy incidents have come closer and closer to the coast of Pakistan. The Pakistani navy is the only regional navy which has taken a lead role in the international missions in the Gulf of Aden in commanding the Combined Task … Read more

Pirates and Insurgency: Reframing the Somali Piracy Problem

by

By Edward Lucas Somali piracy is typically viewed simply as criminal activity and thus is seen as requiring a law enforcement-focused approach in order to eliminate it. These measures include tougher anti-piracy laws, more stringent prosecutions and a greater presence of maritime security forces in the affected regions. While these measures are useful, they are … Read more

2011 Piracy Studies Workshop: Understanding Contemporary Maritime Piracy and the International Response

by

A one day research workshop, 30. September 2011, 9.30-17.30. Greenwich Maritime Institute, University of Greenwich, Old Royal Naval College, London, UK. By Christian Bueger Summary Piracy has re-entered the global stage as a pressing security problem. Addressing piracy requires identifying better mechanisms of military deterrence, surveillance and protection, means of building regional capabilities, such as … Read more

The Mogadishu Roadmap: towards a joint maritime security policy for Somalia?

by

By Jan Stockbruegger That piracy has to be fought onshore in Somalia has become a truism. Somalia needs stable governance structures, a coastguard, and a strategy to fight piracy. Put differently, a Somali maritime security policy is needed. Some efforts into that direction are currently underway. The Mogadishu Roadmap, the outcome of a three day … Read more

The New Public Face of the Contact Group

by

By Christian Bueger The Contact Group goes public The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), the main governance arrangement for coordinating and organizing the global fight against piracy, has finally launched its website today. As was  announced in a UN press declaration the website will serve as a “cyber secretariat offering a … Read more

Pirates, terrorists and local politics: the professionalization of Somali piracy, next episode?

by

By Jan Stockbruegger Last year in March 2010 we published a blog titled “Gunmen, Fish and Puntland: the Professionalization of Piracy?“ outlining the findings of the UN Monitoring Group on Somali piracy (Report of the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia, S/2010/91 (10 March 2010)). Its results were that pirates are indeed becoming more professional by … Read more

The Contours of Piracy Studies in International Relations: Some observations from the ISA Annual Conference, Montreal, 2011.

by

Piracy is a growing field of academic inquiry and is analyzed from various perspectives and disciplinary backgrounds in International Relations, including global governance research, international law, security and strategic studies, area studies and behavioral sciences. As pointed out in our last blog, around ca. 30 papers on piracy were presented at this year’s annual convention … Read more

Is ATALANTA a Humanitarian Mission?

by

By Christian Bueger European politicians, diplomats and military persistently argue in public that the EU’s anti-piracy mission ATALANTA is a humanitarian mission. “Protecting the transports of the World Food Programme is the top priority of the operation” is a statement heard frequently. Now, it is true that the frigates of ATALANTA provide safe routes for … Read more