What is the future of the counter-piracy architecture in the Western Indian Ocean? While there is agreement the the risk of a return of piracy in the region continues, the implication for the international response is unclear. Are international naval missions such as the European Union’s EUNVAFOR Atalanta still required? How should the coordination mechanisms such as the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) continue there work?
SafeSeas is supporting the work of the newly established Strategic Planning Steering Group (SPSG) of the CGPCS which wants to investigate these issues and develop a strategic plan for the group. The group is a new body installed following the last plenary of the CGPCS and chaired by the government of Seychelles.
Drawing on our research in the TOCAS project on maritime security governance in the region and our earlier work on counter-piracy governance, we will assist the group in drafting the strategic and feed core academic insights into the process.