This thesis examines the phenomena of contemporary maritime piracy in Southeast Asia and Northeast Africa during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. This research is carried out imder a broad theoretical framework that encompasses historical analysis combined with an examination of contemporary military practice, intemational maritime law, policy level govemance and social science methodologies. Firstly, it investigates whether the surge in maritime piratical activity in the late twentieth century constituted a 'palingenesis' by considering the modem historical context of piracy, in particular the late nineteenth century. This establishes a foundation for an analysis of the maritime climate between 1900 and 1914, the interwar period and post-Second World War when, it is argued, 'micro-maritime' threats such as piracy faded in terms of strategic importance. Secondly, this thesis traces the development and evolution of contemporary counter-piracy initiatives since this resurgence through comprehensive case studies of Southeast Asia and Northeast Africa, which represents the core qualitative research methodology in the work. Each region is initially examined in isolation under a thematic framework that critically incorporates both landward and seaward initiatives alongside the progression and utility of intemational maritime law. The final section of the thesis constructs a comparative analytic fi-amework to gauge the effectiveness and shortcomings of counter-piracy initiatives at the strategic, operational and tactical levels extrapolating lessons leamed, future policy projections and wider implications.