ASEAN Political-Security Community and ASEAN Regional Forum

APSC and Security

integration

Presented by Rejane Torrecampo (2014)

Research Question

● How will the APSC contribute to peace and

security in the region?

Objectives

● To present a short history of regional efforts

to achieve and maintain peace and security

in Southeast Asia

● To discuss the goals of the ASEAN Political-

Security Community

● To identify the possible success and

contribution of the APSC to regional peace

Short History

● Baguio Conference

● Southeast Asia Treaty Organization

● Association of Southeast Asia

● MAPHILINDO

● Association of Southeast Asian Nationso Remains to be the primary regional organization in

SEA

ASEAN Vision

● A prosperous and peaceful concert of

Southeast Asian Nations

● To achieve peace and stability among

Member States and beyond the region

● An economically competitive bonded in a

common and shared identity to achieve

further peace and stability

APSC

● ASEAN Concord I

● ASEAN Vision 2020

● Bali Concord II

● Cebu Declaration

● APSC Blueprint

APSC Goals

● A rules-based community ofshared values

and normso To strengthen democracy, enhance good

governance and the rule of law, and to promote

human rights and fundamental freedoms, with due

regard to the rights and responsibilities of the

Member States of ASEAN

APSC Goals

● A cohesive, peaceful and resilent region with

shared responsibility for comprehensive

securityo Takes into account non-traditional aspects vital to

regional and national resilience

APSC Goals

● A dynamic and outward looking region in an

increasingly integrated and interdependent

worldo To maintain friendly and mutually beneficial relations

with external parties to ensure that the peoples and

member states of ASEAN live in peace with the

world at large

Community

"A regional security community, in order to

ensure that it remains free of violent intra-mural

conflicts, must also manage is relations with

extra regional actors, including the major

powers, with a view to preventing any conflict-

causing or destabilizing effect of the later on

the community" (Acharya, 2001)

Asia-Pacific Security

and the role of ARF

Presented by Rejane Torrecampo (2014)

● How effective is the ARF in contributing to

peace and security in Asia-Pacific?

Research Question

Objectives

● To present the origin of the ARF

● To discuss the evolutionary approach of the

ARF

● To identify the current efforts of the ARF in

contributing to peace and stability in the region

● To map the on-going debate as the

effectiveness and viability of the ARF

Significance of the Study

● International relations is evolving, and power

center is changing

● Multilateralism is now the preferred security

arrangement at the end of the Cold War

period

● ARF is the premier security forum in Asia-

Pacific

Origin of ARF

● International Situationo “with the end of the Cold War...there were also

concerns that the changes this would bring to the

global balance of power would adversely affect

regional security” (Kingsford, 2012)

o the capacity to handle “regional not merely bilateral

and sub-regional issues” (Ortuoste, 2011)

Origin of ARF

● International Situationo “To prevent a regional ‘power vacuum’ and a re-

balancing of power, it was deemed important to

establish an alternative security arrangement- one

that would be able to handle the existing and

emerging complexity in the Asia-Pacific” (Ortuoste,

2011)

Origin of ARF

“One strand of theory, neorealism, argues that

multipolar systems tend to be more prone to war

than bipolar systems. having only two main actors

holding each other in check allows for simpler and

more predictable pattern of aaliances and

interactions, wheres a multipolar environment

would be more complex and choatic” (Acharya,

2011)

Origin of ARF

● Powershifto “the potential threat to regional security from these

shifts in power, [that is, US was drawing down its

forces in the region while China was increasing its

activity in the South China Sea,] coupled with

ASEAN’s reticence to discuss security issues, was

the catalyst for the creation of...the ARF” (Kingsford,

2012)

Origin of ARF

● Powershifto “the combination of apparently rising Chinese power

and a reduced commitment to the region on the part

of the United States had a galvanizing impact on the

Southeast Asian states, especially as they fretted

about the implications that China’s military

modernization might have on the resolution of

sensitive security issues in the region” (Beeson,

2009)

Origin of ARF

● Role of small and medium size powerso “China’s growing strategic threat and Southeast

Asia’s limited ability to counter it is widely seen as

providing one of the most important drivers behind

the establishment of the ARF” (Beeson, 2009)

Evolutionary Approach

● ARF Concept Paper

o Promotion of Confidence-Building Measures

o Development of Preventive Diplomacy Mechanisms

o Development of Conflict-Resolution Mechanisms

● Incrementalism is central to the ARF

● Existing Security issues in the region cannot be possibly

addressed by a young forum like the ARF

● to develop a more predictable and constructive pattern

of relations for the Asia-Pacific

Evolutionary Approach

● Confidence-buildingo to ensure a common understanding and approach to

interstate relations in the region

o to foster respect, trust and confidence among its

members

o Annual senior officials’ and ministers’ meeting

Evolutionary Approach

● Preventive Diplomacyconsensual diplomatic and political action taken by sovereign states with

the consent of all directly involved parties:

o To help prevent disputes and conflicts from arising between States

that could potentially pose a threat to regional peace and stability;

o To help prevent such disputes and conflicts from escalating into

armed confrontation; and

o To help minimise the impact of such disputes and conflicts on the

region

(Concepts and Principles of Preventive Diplomacy, adopted at the 8th ARF, 2011)

Evolutionary Approach

● Conflict Resolutiono “it is not envisaged that the ARF would establish

mechanisms [for] conflict resolution in the immediate

future. The establishment of such mechanisms is an

eventual goal that ARF participants should pursue

as they proceed to develop the ARF as a vehicle for

promoting regional peace and stability” (ARF

concept Paper)

Current Efforts● Traditional Security

o national security-focused on the military defence of the

State’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against

external aggression

● Non-traditional Securityo human security-capability in satisfying one’s basic needs

and where the institutions are obliged to provide

protection and ensure their survival

o transnational security-securing beyond military defence

of the national borders

Current Efforts

● Traditional Securityo Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea and East

Asia

o Residue of the Cold War: Korean Peninsula and

Taiwan Strait

Current Efforts

Territorial

Disputes in the

South China Sea

Current Efforts

● South China Seao five ARF members (China, Philippines, Brunei

Darussalam, Malaysia, Vietnam) and Taiwan have

overlapping claims that have escalated to violence

o China’s argument is that it would rely on bilateral

and multilateral relationships with the countries

directly involved rather than through the ARF

o Consensus building is applied in this case

Current Efforts

● South China seao Security issues

Drives competition with each other rather than

cooperation

SCS is rich in various kinds of mineral resources

and is an important fishing ground

Freedom of navigation

Current Efforts

"With the four of its [ASEAN] member states

being claimants, and the others having varying

degrees of political, diplomatic, and economic

closeness to China and the US, the potential of

ASEAN's ability to contribute to the settlement

of the SCS disputes remains to be seen"

(Kingah, et. al, 2012)

Current Efforts

● South China Sea

"for the next 20 years, the South China Sea will

probably remain the ‘worst-case’ threat to

peace and security in the region” (Acharya,

2011)

Current Efforts

● Non-traditional securityo Terrorism

o Maritime Piracy

o Human rights (trafficking)

o Environmental degradation

Debates

“the principle ASEAN centrality implies that

ASEAN must keep its seat at the ‘driver’ stable

of the most important existing Asian regional

institutions, especially the ARF” (Acharya,

2011)

Debates

Other authors question the effectiveness of

ASEAN centrality wherein its principles and

norms are applied

opportunities

Will remain as the premier security form in Asia

PAcific and the only forum to possibly evolve

into a security institution

Platform to discuss non-traidtional security

issues