It is a long way, culturally and geographically, from the Malacca Strait between Malaysia (and Singapore) and Indonesia, and the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen. Yet Efthimios Mitropoulos, secretary-­general of the International Maritime Organisation, believes his organisation can take lessons from the reduced piracy and robbery in the Malacca Strait – which last year saw more than 70,000 ship movements – to the vital sea lanes off Somalia.

His organisation, set up to implement international conventions on protecting life at sea, successfully encouraged the Malacca Strait states to co-operate against attacks. The strait has this year seen only two episodes of piracy.