Maritime Security and History

Maritime security research examines how states, international bodies, and non-state actors compete for control over sea lanes, ports, and the legal frameworks that govern them — with particular attention to piracy, armed robbery, and the blurred boundary between organized crime and political violence. In the Asia-Pacific, where a disproportionate share of global trade moves through narrow straits like Malacca and around the volatile coastlines of Somalia and Southeast Asia, disruptions carry consequences that ripple far beyond the region. Scholars in this area trace how diplomatic negotiations, multilateral counter-piracy operations, and international law — including contested interpretations of UNCLOS — shape both the practical effectiveness of enforcement and the distribution of responsibility among nations. Open questions include how rising great-power rivalry complicates coordinated maritime governance, and whether existing legal categories are adequate to address actors who blend commercial predation with terrorist financing.

Works

41,396

Total citations

80,404

Keywords

Maritime SecurityPiracyAsia-PacificDiplomacyInternational LawCounter-Piracy Operations