Institutional embeddedness and governance resilience in counter-piracy cooperation: a dual-layer network analysis

Faced with the persistent and evolving threat of maritime piracy, strengthening international cooperation has become a critical priority for global maritime governance. However, the structural dynamics and long-term evolution of such cooperation remain underexplored from a network perspective. To address this issue, this study constructs a dynamic dual-layer counter-piracy cooperation network, comprising a bilateral cooperation layer and an institutional co-membership layer. The network is built by extracting state- and region-level cooperative interactions from official reports, joint statements, and organizational records from 2013 to 2024, and is modeled using a multiplex framework to capture both vertical and horizontal ties. Using cross-layer and intra-layer centrality metrics, the study analyzes the network’s temporal evolution. The results reveal a pronounced “Matthew Effect”, with a small number of core countries consistently dominating the network. Over time, key hubs have expanded from Southeast and South Asia to Africa and other global regions, indicating a trend toward increasing multipolarity. Analysis of structural vulnerabilities and key nodes shows a gradual convergence in network fragility, with the institutional co-membership layer demonstrating greater stability and stronger institutional embeddedness than the bilateral cooperation layer. Further findings highlight that certain countries have persistently played hub roles in counter-piracy cooperation. The United States demonstrates a balanced and diversified cooperation model, while countries such as China, Vietnam, Japan, and the Philippines follow a diplomacy-driven model. This research offers a nuanced network-based perspective on the long-term evolution of international counter-piracy cooperation and proposes policy recommendations to strengthen institutional linkages, reduce fragmentation, and enhance the robustness of global maritime governance against emerging security threats.