This research will add to the understanding of the conceptualization of piracy with the use of the failed state discourse. It aims to give a critical examination of the international counter piracy...Show moreThis research will add to the understanding of the conceptualization of piracy with the use of the failed state discourse. It aims to give a critical examination of the international counter piracy measures with a specific focus on the EU NAVFOR operation Atlanta. Studies suggest that there should be an agreed-on concept of piracy to effectively deter it. The various regulatory agencies have been advocating it; however, it seems that the member states all have their own ways of viewing and dealing with piracy which benefit their own interests. The failed state discourse by Englebert and Tull, explains that African states are often presumed to be failed and that they therefore, need assistance in the state reconstruction processes. Moreover, there is a flawed assumption that Western states have the capacity and the legitimacy to reconstruct the African states. By further investigating this notion, we find that the currently operating EU operation Atlanta displays a perfect example of the failed state discourse in their humanitarian foreign policy measures.Show less
