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The Human Security Imperatives Behind the Establishment of an East Asian Community

The Human Security Imperatives Behind the Establishment of an East Asian Community. Herman Joseph S. Kraft 14 October 2009. The Background. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) entered its 40 th year last year.

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The Human Security Imperatives Behind the Establishment of an East Asian Community

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  1. The Human Security Imperatives Behind the Establishment of an East Asian Community Herman Joseph S. Kraft 14 October 2009

  2. The Background • The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) entered its 40th year last year. • Two years prior to that, it was decided that ASEAN would establish a Charter which would technically speaking be its Constitution.

  3. The Background • A Charter was supposed to further institutionalize cooperation among the ASEAN states and turn ASEAN into a more-rule-based association. • Move towards the ASEAN Vision of a community of “caring and sharing societies” by 2020.

  4. The Background • In 2005, an Eminent Persons Group was formed and tasked with putting together “bold and visionary ideas” that would be the basis of the ASEAN Charter • It submitted its report at the ASEAN Summit held in Cebu in January 2007

  5. The Background • The EPG Report included: • the idea of strengthening and streamlining cooperative mechanisms, and, more importantly, putting into place more effective mechanisms for monitoring compliance with decisions made at the level of ASEAN • The establishment of a dispute-settlement mechanism for Intra-ASEAN relations

  6. The Background • possible sanctions for non-compliance on decisions made or serious breaches of stated ASEAN objectives, principles and commitments • recommendations on strengthening the Secretariat and the office of the Secretary General to give it more authority on coordinating and monitoring the implementation of decisions made at the ASEAN level • restructuring ASEAN in order to make it more proactive in responding to issues of concern, whether long-standing or emerging, to the region

  7. What is the issue? • At its unveiling at the ASEAN Summit in Singapore in 2007, the Charter generated a variety of reactions – most of it reflecting disappointment at the contents of the Charter, particularly at the way it circumvented issues that had current relevance such as those regarding the behavior of Myanmar and how this reflected upon ASEAN.

  8. The Expectation: A More Rules-based ASEAN • based on clearly set, understood and accepted principles and standards of behavior • these clearly set principles and standards, and not the will of any individual person or group of persons, would be the measure of what is proper and acceptable behavior, and no one, including “organs of public authority,” stands above them

  9. Falling short of expectation? • ASEAN Charter has some very good and progressive provisions because it commits ASEAN to • the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, and respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms • the establishment of an ASEAN human rights body

  10. Falling short of expectation? • the establishment of bodies that will be responsible for coordinating the different areas of cooperation in conformity with the three pillars of the ASEAN Community, i.e. the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the ASEAN Security Community (ASC), and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) • the idea that all Member States are obliged to take all necessary measures to effectively implement the provisions of the Charter and comply with all the obligations of membership

  11. Falling short of expectation? • Where it falls short of what was expected were on the issues of • Binding decisions • Compliance and sanctions • Mandatory Dispute Settlement

  12. The Establishment of an East Asian Community • The ASEAN + 3  In search of increased levels of institutionalized cooperation and stronger economic integration • October 1999  creation of the East Asian Vision Group

  13. The Establishment of an East Asian Community • 2001  Brunei ASEAN+3 Summit  creation of the East Asian Study Group • 2005  First East Asian Summit in Kuala Lumpur • 2007  Second East Asian Summit held in Cebu

  14. Rationale • The need to engage an economically powerful and increasingly politically influential China • Need to contend with overlaps in membership of the different regional institutions and associations in the Asia Pacific region • Compelling need to address emerging challenges in the region

  15. What does establishing a community imply? • Common Purpose • Sense of Identity (“we-feeling”) • Formal or informal institutions or practices, sufficiently strong and widespread to assure peaceful change among members of a group with 'reasonable' certainty over a 'long' period of time.”

  16. Human Security Imperatives • Human Security  UNDP Report of 1994  safety from “chronic” threats such as hunger, disease, repression, and protection from sudden and hurtful disruptions to the everyday lives of people

  17. Human Security Imperatives • EAVG Report proposed 56 recommendations (22 of which were identified as key) in six fields: economic, financial, political/security, environmental/energy, social/cultural/educational, and institutional cooperation

  18. Human Security Imperatives • EASG Report took 24 of the EAVG recommendations and reconstructed them along short-, medium-, and long-term measures

  19. Human Security Imperatives • The EAVG and EASG recommendations, if implemented, require cooperative mechanisms in order to be addressed • The EASG report, in particular, recommended that there should be an intensification of consultation and cooperation on transnational issues that affect human security and regional stability

  20. Human Security Imperatives • Natural disasters • Health • Environment • Social Safety Nets against sudden downtrends in economic conditions • Failed states and peacekeeping • Transnational Trafficking • Human Rights

  21. Human Security Imperatives • These issues cannot be resolved through self-help mechanisms • Neither can they be effectively addressed through largely informal and ad-hoc arrangements

  22. What are the Prospects for an EAC • Just on the basis of the imperatives noted previously, there is still a lot of uncertainty about the direction that the evolution of an EAC will take.

  23. Common Purpose? • “Lying in the same bed but dreaming different dreams.” • EAC divide is deeper and more varied than the divide within ASEAN • Leadership rivalry between China and Japan • Historical problems in Northeast Asia

  24. Common Purpose? • Structural differences among the members of the EAC • Role of ASEAN itself • Weakness of ASEAN institutions

  25. Sense of Identity? • Inclusion/Exclusion • ASEAN + 3 • ASEAN + 6 • Requirements for inclusion (TACSEA accession)

  26. Formal and Informal Institutions? • Harmonization of existing bilateral and multilateral arrangements among and with those outside of the EAC • Implications for ASEAN processes and the ARF

  27. Issues of Power • The attitude of the United States • Relations between China and the United States • Other regional powers

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