ABSTRACT
At the eighth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), the chair’s statement identified piracy at sea as one of the global focus issues of the ASEM partners. The statement mentions in particular piracy off the coast of Somalia as a current threat to the freedom and security of the seas. The Gulf of Aden and the Western Indian Ocean – the waters where Somali piracy occurs – are major thoroughfares of maritime trade between Europe and Asia. Since 2008, a large number of countries have contributed to naval missions against Somali piracy. The great majority of these countries are either European or Asian. 1 The fact that so many nations are involved in addressing Somali piracy – not just through naval missions but also in other ways – constitutes an important opportunity to strengthen security governance on maritime piracy. However, even when faced with a common threat, it is not easy for such a large number of countries to work together closely when there is little experience in doing so. This is particularly true when it involves the military assets of competing great powers in a maritime region that is of major strategic importance. This chapter will address the question of how Asian and European countries that are active in naval operations against Somali piracy can contribute to more effective and thus enhanced maritime security governance. It will argue that the European Union (EU), especially when supported by Asian countries, is in a favourable position to help overcome geopolitical impediments to greater international cooperation against piracy. In this regard, ASEM, as the main forum for collective dialogue between Asia and Europe, can play a central role.
