International cooperation in combating modern forms of maritime piracy: Legal and policy dimensions

In recent years, maritime piracy has reemerged as a serious threat to the international community, notably following the increase in piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia. Piratical activity has threatened the safety of navigation, the lives of seafarers, and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The international community rapidly engaged: International and regional bodies became directly involved, navies from various countries were dispatched, and new cooperative arrangements were formed. This resulted in a significant drop of Somali piracy attacks.
The dissertation addresses the following overarching question: "What are the primary legal and policy characteristics of the paradigm employed by the international community to combat modern forms of maritime piracy?"
The first chapter examines the definition of piracy under international law. The second chapter analyzes the duty to cooperate and the third chapter assesses the involvement of the United Nations Security Council in combating piracy. The fourth chapter examines the interrelation between an international and a regional response to piracy. The fifth chapter focuses on the pragmatic, efficiency-driven approach espoused by the international community in combating piracy off the coast of Somalia.
The dissertation concludes with an overview of the main features of the counter-piracy paradigm. It submits that this paradigm marks an important step in the creation of a new international governance model, which comprises of a plethora of both state and non-state actors and is based on collaboration through non-hierarchical structures, seeking pragmatic solutions and challenging traditional practices that have governed international relations in the past.