Burden-sharing Multi-level Governance: A Study of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia

The CGPCS was developed as a multifaceted response to the spike in maritime crime near the Horn of Africa and the UN Security Council’s call in late 2008 for a coordinated response. The CGPCS is a novel global governance mechanism, as it lacks terms of reference or a standing secretariat, includes diverse actors, and maintains very low barriers to state participation. These characteristics render the CGPCS effective in developing timely, pragmatic responses to piracy. This paper explores the development of the CGPCS, its operations and impact, and its lessons learned for other organizations.