Connecting the Dots: Implications of the Intertwined Global Challenges to Maritime Security

Abstract

Scholars have long discussed the land-sea nexus in the context of maritime security, and indeed in the exploration of the issues and challenges contemplated throughout these pages, we note that in the same way that the sea and land are connected beyond the shoreline where they meet, there are likewise many intersections between the global challenges to maritime security. In this chapter five connecting themes are identified, which draw together the threads weaving through the chapters of this book, specifically: the transnational nature of maritime threats, the role played by territoriality, the blue security nexus, the contribution of non-state actors to the maritime domain, and, lastly, the impact of technological developments. Further to connecting these dots, we synthesise a number of policy recommendations that emanate from within the chapters of this volume. These centre on cooperation (particularly in capacity building and information-sharing), appreciating the role of geopolitics and actively acknowledging this through the necessary legal instruments, an integrated approach toward sea-based economic activity, the need for platforms where private and public stakeholders can come together to coalesce around solutions to key problems, and preparing for and leaning on the challenges and opportunities presented by technological advances. Distilled further from this is the importance of maritime domain awareness, as policy interventions at the state-, regional-, and international levels all require an accurate picture of what is happening in the maritime domain. Lastly, we look to the areas in which new research must focus, in order to further develop our understanding of the intertwining of these various issues, but also to provide actionable inputs into policy processes.