THE ZONE OF PEACE AND COOPERATION OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC: A CONTRIBUTION TO MARITIME SECURITY IN THE GULF OF GUINEA

Abstract

The Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic (ZOPACAS) was established in 1986 by the countries on the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa to promote regional cooperation and the maintenance of peace and security in the region. The Gulf of Guinea (GoG) is a part of Brazil’s strategic neighbourhood, but the threats that have plagued it in this century, particularly piracy and armed robbery at sea, jeopardise freedom of navigation and international trade in the region. The irregular activity of ZOPACAS since its inception has not allowed it to develop specific measures to combat insecurity in the GoG. However, there has been a shift in Brazil’s foreign policy since January 2023 as the country seeks to increase its influence on the international arena, and particularly with countries in the Global South. In this sense, ZOPACAS appears to be an opportunity for Brazil to take on a growing role in the GoG. It is understood that the academic importance of this article is centred on the evolution of ZOPACAS since its launch and its potential to become an important regional organisation in the pursuit of maritime security in the GoG region. In these circumstances, this study aimed at analysing ZOPACAS as an initiative capable of positively influencing maritime security in the GoG region, using an interpretivist epistemological framework, inductive reasoning and a qualitative research strategy, with a case study as the research design. For that purpose, it was defined the following research question: how can the ZOPACAS contribute to improve maritime security in the region of the GoG? The findings show that ZOPACAS has indeed the potential to play an important role in combating the main maritime threats in the GoG.