A new report looks at piracy in different regions of the world. Brigitte Rohwerder from the University of Birmingham has compiled the “Rapid Literature Review”. Together with two of my colleagues at Risk Intelligence, I provided some views and thoughts, particularly about piracy and armed robbery at sea in West Africa.
The report was prepared for the European Commission’s Instrument Contributing to Stability and Peace. It is based on twenty days of desk-based research and provides a short synthesis of the literature on the factors and motivations that are discouraging or encouraging piracy in the Horn of Africa, West Africa and the Strait of Malacca. This is the first paragraph of the abstract:
What factors are discouraging or encouraging piracy in the Horn of Africa, West Africa and the Strait of Malacca? This report finds that a combination of factors in each of the regions have affected levels of piracy, at different times and depending on the type of piracy. For example, these factors may differ for subsistence pirates (largely gangs made up of part-timers who are often poor and seeking an alternative source of income) and professional pirates (hierarchically organised syndicates with well-developed logistical chains).
The full report is available for download in pdf format. It is a good introduction to the literature on the subject, useful for students at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. Policymakers who are involved with the subject should also note this report. It offers a comprehensive introduction into different aspects related to piracy and armed robbery at sea, a key indicator for a lack of governance at sea.
Practical views on piracy
Perspectives in this report are not just based on academic research. There are also practical inputs from experts for all three regions covered. If you are interested in the subject, you can have a look at my own research or contact me directly for some more detailed insights.
