The geopolitical dimension of maritime security

This article discusses the geopolitical dimension of maritime security, which has been neglected by scholars despite the growing number of studies devoted to a variety of aspects related to maritime security. The first step consists in clarifying the definitions of the two concepts; ‘geopolitics’ and ‘maritime security’. Then the article introduces the geopolitical dimension of maritime security from a conceptual perspective, and then analyses three practical examples of maritime security geo-strategies released in 2014. The results demonstrate that states’ and international institutions’ maritime security objectives and interests are indirectly and directly influenced by geographical and geopolitical considerations, although this link is only tacitly acknowledged in official documents. Scholars and practitioners interested in maritime security are encouraged to further engage with this dimension

Climate change and maritime security narrative: the case of the international maritime organisation

Both climate change and maritime security are currently ranking high on states’ and international organisations’ political and governance agendas. However, academics and practitioners alike have hardly tackled the actual interlinkages and dependencies between the two issues. Taking the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a case study, this article pioneers the use of corpus linguistic method to unravel the nonexistence of a narrative linking climate change impacts and the occurrence of maritime criminality despite some connections in practice. However, direct narrative links between climate change and migration as well as migration and maritime security were found, which can point at an indirect link between climate change and maritime security. The article concludes on the implications of these findings for academics and practitioners alike. The latter are encouraged to reflect on their current narrative in a bid to contribute to a better acknowledgement of the existing links between the impacts of climate change on natural and human systems and aspects of maritime security

Climate Change and Maritime Security

Climate change has been recognised as a major issue for coastal populations. Under this context, the potential socio-economic, environmental and health impacts at local, regional and global scales have received considerable attention by scientists. The knowledge gained feed official strategic documents, which aim to increase awareness but also propose and apply management and mitigation measures towards reducing risks for human beings and the natural environment. Dependencies between human security, social vulnerability of coastal communities and the occurrence of maritime crime have also been studied. There is a consensus on the need to deepen the understanding of the links between climate change effects and threats to maritime security, but it remains to be seen if existing knowledge on the interplay between climate change and maritime security has been translated into policy. This article offers a synthesis on recent evidence and knowledge gained to elaborate the nexus between climate change impacts, social vulnerabilities and the occurrence of maritime criminality. We further explore the extent to which official documents account for the maritime dimension of climate change security. Despite the existence of an embryonic official discourse linking climate change and maritime security, our analysis reveals significant gaps between the concerns raised by the academic community and what is acknowledged in national and regional official strategic documents. Informing decision-makers and stakeholders about the possible dependencies between climate change and maritime security is thus a crucial step towards improving global ocean governance

De l’Atlantique à la Méditerranée vers une réorientation de la géostratégique navale dans l’espace euro-atlantique depuis 1989

Cet article aborde la dynamique conflictuelle en Méditerranée dans une perspective navale. En considérant la fin de la guerre froide comme un point charnière, nous démontrons que dans la période post-guerre froide, les priorités navales des Occidentaux se sont réorientées de l’Atlantique vers la Méditerranée, cette dernière acquérant une importance géostratégique de premier ordre.This article tackles the conflictual dynamic in the Mediterranean taking a naval approach. Considering the end of the cold war as a turning point, we demonstrate that in the post-cold war era, the naval priorities of the Western countries have been reoriented from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, this one gaining a first rank geostrategic importance

Ocean governance and maritime security in a placeful environment:the case of the European Union

Adopting a critical geopolitics approach that accounts for the mutually reinforcing link between geo-informed narratives and power projection practices, this article proposes that ocean governance and maritime security have translated into states’ and regional organisations’ increasing control over maritime spaces. This leads to a certain territorialisation of the sea, not so much from a sovereignty and jurisdictional perspective but from a functional and normative perspective. The article starts by discussing the ways oceans have been represented and shows that they are far from a placeless void, both in practice and in discourse. The article then frames the analysis of ocean governance and maritime security within critical geopolitics, and elaborates on the case of the European Union’s narrative and practice. It concludes on the mutually reinforcing link between discourse and practice in the field of ocean governance and maritime security in general, and on the consequences in terms of power projection for the EU in particular. Scholars working on ocean governance and maritime security are encouraged to challenge the traditional view that oceans are placeless

The future of maritime cyber security

The Maritime environment is not immune to the radical ability of modern digital communications and computing to be disruptive. In order to gain the advantages of modern technology those operating in the maritime must also become aware and develop strategies to handle the inevitable security issues that modern computing systems bring with them. This report presents a first step on the road to this understanding by presenting the findings from a joint workshop run by Security Lancaster and the Developments, Concepts and Doctrine Centre with participants from a range of government and commercial stakeholders. Here we present the salient points that we discussed within a framework that underpins a repeatable approach to scenario planning based on assessing key traits and trends in three key elements of the cyber maritime domain: Information, People and Technology. This report identifies how the use of technology is extending the scope for maritime security far beyond traditional littoral boundaries and the key influences shaping the cyber maritime environment

A Methodology for analysing the impacts of climate change on maritime security

This paper presents a methodology for developing a social Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) which analyses the impacts of climate change on maritime crime and maritime insecurities. The use of a CEA methodology, including the use of the Effect to Impact Pathway will enable mapping the relationships between certain ‘Activities’ (e.g. human-induced emissions of greenhouse gasses), the ‘Pressure’ engendered (e.g. warming sea temperatures) and their ‘Impacts’ (e.g. food shortages) via ‘Receptors’ (e.g. fishing communities) on specific sectors of society (in this case maritime migration and maritime crime, e.g. illegal fishing). This paper provides a Proof of Concept (PoC) for using such a methodology and shows the applicability of a multidisciplinary approach in understanding causal chains. In this PoC, the authors are generating a Non-Geographic Assessment Map that investigates the ‘Impacts’ that the human-induced greenhouse gas emissions have on maritime security. The proposed analytical tool can then be applied in further studies to assess the dependencies and synergies between climate change and the occurrence of maritime insecurity

Developing and utilising a realist-constructivist analytical framework towards understanding the European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy

This thesis develops and utilises a realist-constructivist framework for the purposes of analysing the development of the European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy. This thesis challenges ‘paradigmatic thinking’ within the discipline of International Relations to demonstrate that constructivist elements are not only commensurable to realist analysis of international relations, but can bring added value to our understanding of how states’ interpret and respond to the threats and incentives of the international system. Inspired by readings of classical realism, this thesis recognises that whilst structural realism provides theoretical parsimony and elegance in its appreciation for the role of power within the international system, it lacks the necessary analytical toolkit to understand how states respond to the threats and incentives of anarchy. This is demonstrated with specific reference to the shortcomings of extant realist approaches to the complex empirical puzzle that is the Common Security and Defence Policy, which have resulted in realist theorising being relatively side-lined in relation to this policy area. To address this gap in the literature, it draws upon a neoclassical realist multi-level model of foreign policy analysis, to integrate structural realist analysis at the system-level with constructivist analysis at the unit-level. In order to demonstrate the utility of this novel framework this thesis applies it to understanding the development of the Common Security and Defence Policy, making the case that this development may be interpreted as an instance of limited transatlantic bandwagoning under unipolarity to ameliorate the ‘alliance dilemma’ – the dichotomous dangers of entrapment and abandonment by the senior partner in the alliance. However, the approaches of EU member states facing similar system-level threats and incentives to this policy area diverge. Therefore the ‘black box’ of the state is opened to explore whether the scope and pace of involvement is impacted by ideational factors at the national level. This thesis takes account of the security cultures of the United Kingdom and Germany specifically as a basis by which to understand their respective approaches towards developing security and defence cooperation through the EU. In this sense, the thesis aspires to make a contribution to the literature in both empirical and conceptual terms. The investigation into the development of the Common Security and Defence Policy is understood through reference to both material and ideational factors and the interaction between these provides empirical findings, but the thesis also formulates a realist-constructivist framework to integrate these factors into a single analysis, which has attracted limited scholarly attention thus far. Furthermore, the developed realist-constructivist analytical framework offers significant insights on the continuing relevance of the realist tradition within International Relations to complement existing scholarship, on both theoretical pluralism and the Common Security and Defence Policy. The thesis thus offers a particular formulation and demonstration of realist-constructivist synthesis, but points to further opportunities of the framework within EU and global politics