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

The Human Security The Human Security Imperatives Behind the Imperatives Behind the

Establishment of an East Establishment of an East Asian CommunityAsian Community

Herman Joseph S. KraftHerman Joseph S. Kraft

14 October 200914 October 2009

The BackgroundThe Background

The Association of Southeast Asian The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) entered its 40Nations (ASEAN) entered its 40thth year year last year.last year.

Two years prior to that, it was Two years prior to that, it was decided that ASEAN would establish decided that ASEAN would establish a Charter which would technically a Charter which would technically speaking be its Constitution.speaking be its Constitution.

The BackgroundThe Background

A Charter was supposed to further A Charter was supposed to further institutionalize cooperation among institutionalize cooperation among the ASEAN states and turn ASEAN the ASEAN states and turn ASEAN into a more-rule-based association. into a more-rule-based association.

Move towards the ASEAN Vision of a Move towards the ASEAN Vision of a community of “caring and sharing community of “caring and sharing societies” by 2020.societies” by 2020.

The BackgroundThe Background

In 2005, an Eminent Persons Group In 2005, an Eminent Persons Group was formed and tasked with putting was formed and tasked with putting together “bold and visionary ideas” together “bold and visionary ideas” that would be the basis of the ASEAN that would be the basis of the ASEAN CharterCharter

It submitted its report at the ASEAN It submitted its report at the ASEAN Summit held in Cebu in January 2007 Summit held in Cebu in January 2007

The BackgroundThe Background

The EPG Report included:The EPG Report included:• the idea of strengthening and the idea of strengthening and

streamlining cooperative mechanisms, streamlining cooperative mechanisms, and, more importantly, putting into and, more importantly, putting into place more effective mechanisms for place more effective mechanisms for monitoring compliance with decisions monitoring compliance with decisions made at the level of ASEAN made at the level of ASEAN

• The establishment of a dispute-The establishment of a dispute-settlement mechanism for Intra-ASEAN settlement mechanism for Intra-ASEAN relationsrelations

The BackgroundThe Background possible sanctions for non-compliance on possible sanctions for non-compliance on

decisions made or serious breaches of stated decisions made or serious breaches of stated ASEAN objectives, principles and ASEAN objectives, principles and commitments commitments

recommendations on strengthening the recommendations on strengthening the Secretariat and the office of the Secretary Secretariat and the office of the Secretary General to give it more authority on General to give it more authority on coordinating and monitoring the coordinating and monitoring the implementation of decisions made at the implementation of decisions made at the ASEAN level ASEAN level

restructuring ASEAN in order to make it more restructuring ASEAN in order to make it more proactive in responding to issues of concern, proactive in responding to issues of concern, whether long-standing or emerging, to the whether long-standing or emerging, to the region region

What is the issue?What is the issue?

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

The Expectation: A More Rules-The Expectation: A More Rules-based ASEANbased ASEAN

based on clearly set, understood and based on clearly set, understood and accepted principles and standards of accepted principles and standards of behavior behavior

these clearly set principles and these clearly set principles and standards, and not the will of any standards, and not the will of any individual person or group of persons, individual person or group of persons, would be the measure of what is would be the measure of what is proper and acceptable behavior, and proper and acceptable behavior, and no one, including “organs of public no one, including “organs of public authority,” stands above them authority,” stands above them

Falling short of expectation?Falling short of expectation?

ASEAN Charter has some very good ASEAN Charter has some very good and progressive provisions because it and progressive provisions because it commits ASEAN tocommits ASEAN to

• the principles of democracy, the rule of the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, and respect law and good governance, and respect for and protection of human rights and for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms fundamental freedoms

• the establishment of an ASEAN human the establishment of an ASEAN human rights body rights body

Falling short of expectation?Falling short of expectation?

the establishment of bodies that will be the establishment of bodies that will be responsible for coordinating the different responsible for coordinating the different areas of cooperation in conformity with the areas of cooperation in conformity with the three pillars of the ASEAN Community, i.e. three pillars of the ASEAN Community, i.e. the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the ASEAN Security Community (ASC), and the ASEAN Security Community (ASC), and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)

the idea that all Member States are obliged the idea that all Member States are obliged to take all necessary measures to to take all necessary measures to effectively implement the provisions of the effectively implement the provisions of the Charter and Charter and complycomply with all the obligations with all the obligations of membership of membership

Falling short of expectation?Falling short of expectation?

Where it falls short of what was Where it falls short of what was expected were on the issues of expected were on the issues of

• Binding decisionsBinding decisions

• Compliance and sanctionsCompliance and sanctions

• Mandatory Dispute SettlementMandatory Dispute Settlement

The Establishment of an East Asian The Establishment of an East Asian CommunityCommunity

The ASEAN + 3 The ASEAN + 3 In search of In search of increased levels of institutionalized increased levels of institutionalized cooperation and stronger economic cooperation and stronger economic integrationintegration

October 1999 October 1999 creation of the East creation of the East Asian Vision Group Asian Vision Group

The Establishment of an East Asian The Establishment of an East Asian CommunityCommunity

2001 2001 Brunei ASEAN+3 Summit Brunei ASEAN+3 Summit creation of the East Asian Study creation of the East Asian Study GroupGroup

2005 2005 First East Asian Summit in First East Asian Summit in Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur

2007 2007 Second East Asian Summit Second East Asian Summit held in Cebuheld in Cebu

RationaleRationale

The need to engage an economically The need to engage an economically powerful and increasingly politically powerful and increasingly politically influential Chinainfluential China

Need to contend with overlaps in Need to contend with overlaps in membership of the different regional membership of the different regional institutions and associations in the institutions and associations in the Asia Pacific regionAsia Pacific region

Compelling need to address Compelling need to address emerging challenges in the regionemerging challenges in the region

What does establishing a What does establishing a community imply?community imply?

Common PurposeCommon Purpose Sense of Identity (“we-feeling”)Sense of Identity (“we-feeling”) Formal or informal institutions or Formal or informal institutions or

practices, sufficiently strong and practices, sufficiently strong and widespread to assure peaceful widespread to assure peaceful change among members of a change among members of a group with 'reasonable' certainty group with 'reasonable' certainty over a 'long' period of time.”over a 'long' period of time.”

Human Security ImperativesHuman Security Imperatives

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

Human Security ImperativesHuman Security Imperatives

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

Human Security ImperativesHuman Security Imperatives

EASG Report took 24 of the EAVG EASG Report took 24 of the EAVG recommendations and reconstructed recommendations and reconstructed them along short-, medium-, and them along short-, medium-, and long-term measureslong-term measures

Human Security ImperativesHuman Security Imperatives

The EAVG and EASG recommendations, if The EAVG and EASG recommendations, if implemented, require cooperative implemented, require cooperative mechanisms in order to be addressedmechanisms in order to be addressed

The EASG report, in particular, The EASG report, in particular, recommended that there should be an recommended that there should be an intensification of consultation and intensification of consultation and cooperation on transnational issues that cooperation on transnational issues that affect human security and regional affect human security and regional stabilitystability

Human Security ImperativesHuman Security Imperatives

Natural disastersNatural disasters HealthHealth EnvironmentEnvironment Social Safety Nets against sudden Social Safety Nets against sudden

downtrends in economic conditionsdowntrends in economic conditions Failed states and peacekeepingFailed states and peacekeeping Transnational TraffickingTransnational Trafficking Human RightsHuman Rights

Human Security ImperativesHuman Security Imperatives

These issues cannot be resolved These issues cannot be resolved through self-help mechanismsthrough self-help mechanisms

Neither can they be effectively Neither can they be effectively addressed through largely informal addressed through largely informal and ad-hoc arrangementsand ad-hoc arrangements

What are the Prospects for an EACWhat are the Prospects for an EAC

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

Common Purpose?Common Purpose?

““Lying in the same bed but dreaming Lying in the same bed but dreaming different dreams.”different dreams.”

EAC divide is deeper and more varied than EAC divide is deeper and more varied than the divide within ASEANthe divide within ASEAN

Leadership rivalry between China Leadership rivalry between China and Japanand Japan

Historical problems in Northeast AsiaHistorical problems in Northeast Asia

Common Purpose?Common Purpose?

Structural differences among the Structural differences among the members of the EACmembers of the EAC

Role of ASEAN itselfRole of ASEAN itself• Weakness of ASEAN institutionsWeakness of ASEAN institutions

Sense of Identity?Sense of Identity?

Inclusion/Exclusion Inclusion/Exclusion

ASEAN + 3ASEAN + 3

ASEAN + 6ASEAN + 6

Requirements for inclusion (TACSEA Requirements for inclusion (TACSEA accession)accession)

Formal and Informal Institutions?Formal and Informal Institutions?

Harmonization of existing bilateral Harmonization of existing bilateral and multilateral arrangements and multilateral arrangements among and with those outside of the among and with those outside of the EACEAC

Implications for ASEAN processes Implications for ASEAN processes and the ARF and the ARF

Issues of PowerIssues of Power

The attitude of the United StatesThe attitude of the United States

Relations between China and the Relations between China and the United StatesUnited States

Other regional powersOther regional powers