Countering Piracy in the Modern Era: Notes from a RAND Workshop to Discuss the Best Approaches for Dealing with Piracy in the 21st Century

摘要

In March 2009, the RAND Corporation convened a small group of experts from the U.S. government, allied partner nations, the maritime industry, and other academic organizations to discuss piracy in the modern era. The premise of the workshop was that reconsidering the underlying factors that drive maritime piracy in the 21st century might provide valuable insights to decision makers and policy makers into how best to address the problem within the wider context of fostering greater order at sea. Workshop participants received briefings from RAND researchers and outside specialists that outlined the views of the maritime industry and presented national and international perspectives. The presentations and all related discussion were nonattributable so as to encourage open and frank debate. This document summarizes the main points and conclusions that emerged from the workshop; it should serve as a useful resource to workshop participants as well as others interested in understanding the challenges associated with maritime disorder, violence at sea, and piracy in particular. Six major themes, however, animated much of the discussion: the relevance of the current legal framework for countering piracy; the economic burden imposed by piracy; the opportunities for international collaboration that have been afforded by the joint maritime patrols off the Horn of Africa; the question of using private security contractors to protect shipping transiting dangerous waters; the extent to which industry talks with a 'single voice' in terms of addressing maritime security; and means of confronting the unique nature of piracy off the Horn of Africa.