Piracy and the Privatisation of Maritime Security

In response to pirate attacks in the Western Indian Ocean, countries worldwide have increasingly authorized the deployment of armed guards from private military and security companies (PMSCs) on merchant ships. “An essential reading for anyone interested in the rise of private security at sea and the regulatory challenges arising.” — Christian Bueger, professor of International Relations, Copenhagen University “This careful comparative analysis is a timely reminder that authority over the use of force is now located within commercial networks, inviting us to engage with the consequences.” — Anna Leander, professor of International Relations, Graduate Institute Geneva “Extensive research and incisive analysis give the book authenticity and credibility, adding an invaluable contribution to fighting piracy and maritime security debates.”— Peter Cook, founder of the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI)​ In response to pirate attacks in the Western Indian Ocean, countries worldwide have increasingly authorized the deployment of armed guards from private military and security companies (PMSCs) on merchant ships. This widespread trend contradicts states’ commitment to retain a monopoly on violence and discourage the presence of arms on civilian vessels. This book conceptualizes the extensive use of PMSCs as a form of institutional isomorphism, combining the functionalist, ideational, political and organizational arguments used to account for the privatization of security on land into a synthetic explanation of the commercialization of vessel protection. Eugenio Cusumano is Assistant Professor of International Relations at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands. He wrote extensively on non-state actors’ involvement in crisis management on journals like…