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In this dissertation, I examine Lloyd's of London, the world's largest insurance market, as a transnational actor that influences the maritime security policies of certain littoral states. The research question is: Did Lloyd's of London's classification of the Malacca Straits as a risk area represent a significant factor in encouraging Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia to increase maritime security cooperation in the seaway? I also analyze several alternative explanations for the increased maritime security cooperation among the littoral states after 20 June 2005. This dissertation contributes to the transnational relations subfield of international political economy, which investigates the role of transnational actors in international relations. It also contributes to the literature on maritime security and on Lloyd's of London. I approach the research question with a case study of maritime security cooperation among Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia after 9/11. Lloyd's classified the Malacca Straits as a risk area from 20 June 2005 to 7 August 2006, allowing for a within-case comparison of three periods: (i) from 9/11 to 20 June 2005, when Lloyd's classified the Straits as a risk area, (ii) from 20 June 2005 to 7 August 2006, when Lloyd's declassified the seaway as a risk area, and (iii) from 7 August 2006 to 29 February 2008. I selected 9/11 as a starting point to control for other relevant variables, such as diplomatic pressure on the littoral states to improve maritime security in the Straits, which increased substantially after 9/11. My hypothesis is that Lloyd's classification represented a significant factor in encouraging the littoral states to increase maritime security cooperation after 20 June 2005. The independent variable is Lloyd's classification. The dependent variable is the level and type of maritime security cooperation among Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The rapid improvement in regional maritime security cooperation during the first three months after Lloyd's classification, and the continued progress thereafter, supports my hypothesis. My interviews with the Singaporean Foreign Minister, the Indonesian Foreign Minister, and senior officials at Lloyd's of London, among others, further substantiate my hypothesis. I elaborate upon these findings, and then reflect on their implications and areas of further research.
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