Agustina Eugenia Castro

The challenges of the current globalized world are varied, complex and interdependent. Coastal, sea and ocean are not exempt from them or conflicts or opportunities fascinating, that permit cooperation and joint actions between the States. These are they who have the power to maximum to develop their own Strategies for Security at the National level (ESN) and, as the sea is concerned, is also a Strategy for Maritime Security (ESM) specific. A problem arises when, on the inside of each State is not achieved, defining and agreeing on how to design the maritime safety or what she means to this country and not how to achieve it. Then, the main obstacle it is directly not having a Strategy for Maritime Security to support and guide the actions of all the actors that make the maritime security of a State. Therefore, while there are different interpretations of what a Strategy of such transcendence implies, it is convenient to first break down each of these variables and to understand them separately.

For not yet reference to subjective considerations of these terms on the part of certain States, I think better to use an objective entity as the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) to define them. In the first place, a “strategy” is defined in three ways: “the art of directing the military operations”, “art, draw to direct a subject” and “set of rules that seek an optimal decision in each moment.” Therefore, we can say that it is a plan or roadmap to guide action, premeditated and organized to achieve a certain goal. In the second place, the “security” is simply defined as the “quality insurance”. Despite this clarity in the concept, it is the term the wind that stirs up more controversy when it is defined, within a State and between them, given the various interpretations of what the security supposed. In the third place, “maritime” it is true aspect “of or relating to the sea”.

Now, to understand what it means for a Strategy for Maritime Security, it seems to me interesting to take the postulates of a person skilled in the art, Christian Buerger's disease (in his article of the year 2015 entitled “What is Maritime Security?”), for a complete understanding. According to him, a Strategy of Maritime Security can be interpreted in relation to four core concepts: power at sea, maritime security, blue economy and resilience human. The first focuses on establishing the role and strategy of the naval forces, which are crucial for the protection and survival of the States, in time of peace as of war. The second refers to the security of the ships and vessels of the national fleets and other facilities, in order to protect the marine professionals and the marine ecosystem (here a connection is made between the traditional security and environmental concerns). The third party seeks to integrate the economic development derived from the importance of the oceans (for example, for trade and fishing), and the construction of sustainable strategies for carrying it out. Finally, the fourth puts the focus on human needs and their safety, giving priority to the security of food, shelter and employment, and, ultimately, the resilience of coastal populations to lead a sustainable lifestyle. It is from the interplay of these four concepts can be understood in the broad field of maritime safety, and consistent strategies, but not limited to a traditional conception of security in the military.

As a brief example of the other conceptions of the maritime safety and security, some advocate that it is the “maintenance of order in the sea” (in a positive concept of security) while others understand it as the “absence of threats” (showing a negative connotation to it). These approaches are, to my mind, short and limitations in understanding, so I believe that the suggestions conceptual of Buerger's disease are a better alternative to the understanding of maritime security and their strategies in the world today.

If we study the Strategies of Maritime Security at the global level, of course we set comparisons between them, which provides us a broad spectrum of similarities and differences resulting from the diversity of perspectives. In a world interconnected and cooperative, the Strategy of Maritime safety and Security of a country can serve as an inspiration guide or to another State. This encourages cooperation and agreements on the basis of common positions.

Understanding maritime security as a phenomenon complex, it can be said that it is characterized by its intrinsic interconnections, its dynamism and its non-linearity. In addition, the Strategies of Maritime Safety arising out of it should be able to (re)adapt and redefine themselves to the situation and the changing stimuli in the environment, the more that could form part of a State policy. Also, they should take into account, for their formulation, elements of various fields interdependent, whether military, geographical, political, environmental, social and economic, commercial, technological, among many others.

In short, develop a Strategy for Maritime Security is of paramount importance to achieve the “final states desired” of that country or block considered. Outline the vision, objectives and goals to achieve allows you to have a clear roadmap that eventually goes to a good port, the joint efforts of a State, or of several. All this should be done by anticipating the margins of action with the feature, such as budget and human and material resources. Without such prior planning may not have a Strategy for Maritime Security, at least one that is plausible to develop. Of course you must also not forget to watch the challenges and threats to those who located the State and the international community as a whole. They include disputes maritime interstate, maritime terrorism, trafficking of people, weapons and drugs, until the illegal fishing, environmental crimes, or accidents, and maritime disasters.

Finally, in my opinion, the way most convenient to travel to the States in their maritime security in the short, medium and long term is the development of an appropriate, realistic, and multi-disciplinary Strategy for Maritime Security at the national level. The character of the same should not be limited to certain areas but wide, starting with a conceptualisation of Maritime Security all-encompassing so that you understand the many threats and challenges that the seas have and the opportunities that they have to offer.

The development of a Strategy for Maritime Security coherent means not losing sight of the final states soiled and resources, human and physical, with which they have to achieve them. It also means making a effective use of those resources by a large range of actors, both state and non-state, pre-determined and specific functions and clear, avoiding juxtapositions that are confusing, which may result in disadvantages and conflicts. Finally, I think it essential that the Strategy of Maritime Security to be developed by each country to be a politicspolicy State, and non-partisan or essentially own certain efforts, despite the inherent nuances that could be found in them.