Maritime Regional Security Governance in the Atlantic

Antagonisms, Overlaps and Cooperation

Resumo

The Atlantic Basin is a strategic economic and security space, governed by a complex regional architecture composed of multiple  organisations and initiatives. This article examines the relationships between the main regional governance structures in the field of maritime security, and identifies two patterns among them. The first pattern is a divisive rivalry between North and South Atlantic, which materialises in the politicised antagonism between the mutually exclusive North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the Zone of Peace and Security of the South Atlantic as well as a competitive overlap between the Organisation of American States and the Union of South American Nations. The second pattern is cooperative interregionalism where overlapping organisations and initiatives are able to complement each other due to a functional approach. However, inter-regional cooperation cannot ompensate for institutional shortcomings that impede a sustained and effective coordination of maritime security efforts in the broader Atlantic basin.