CSCAP regional security outlook

CRSO 2009-2010 - Security Through Cooperation: Furthering Asia Pacific Multilateral Engagement

2010 looms as a particularly important year for the Asia Pacific states and societies. Key decisions will be required of leaders, in both global and regional for a, concerning cooperation on climate change, halting proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, regulation of global financial markets, response to natural disasters, addressing the plight of displaced populations, and dampening the pace of destabilizing competitive arms build ups. On each of these topics in this edition of the CRSO, the reader will find a chapter presenting trenchant analyses, along with factual material in time lines, maps, graphs and chart. Continuing the precedent set in the previous volumes, the editors are pleased to have engaged a diverse and distinguished set of contributors drawn from academe, think-tanks, and NGOs and writing from bases in Asia, North America and Europe.

This years CRSO departs from previous editions in several important ways:

• As reflected in the title ("2009-2010"), the content of the chapters is focused more specifically on things to watch in the coming year;
• The role of Track Two, and specifically of CSCAP, is highlighted in a separate chapter authored by CSCAP Co-Chairs; and
• The overall tone of articles and recommendations has become more critical, reflecting the Editor's concern that regional multilateral processes and institutions increasingly are failing to respond effectively ot the security crises confronting the peoples of Asia.

Download the CRSO 2009-2010.

Published by CSCAP Canada, the Center of International Relations (CIR), University of British Columbia for CSCAP. Email:cscapcan@interchange.ubc.ca. 

CRSO 2008 - Security Through Cooperation: Furthering Asia Pacific Multilateral Engagement

In 2008, the regional security agenda has been dominated by concerns for the human security of Asia Pacific populations and by non-traditional security threats arising from the devastation of major natural disasters and dramatic shifts in food and fuel stocks and prices. These events have put in stark relief the realities of scarcity, vulnerability of economic and political systems to unanticipated shocks, and interdependence.

With the global centre of gravity continuing to shift towards the Asia Pacific, regional states (especially China, Japan, India, and the US) must assume greater responsibility for deriving cooperative solutions to global problems and, in turn, promoting proactive regional multilateral institutional responses within broader, systemic regimes for food security, disease prevention, non-proliferation and adaptation and mitigation of climate change.

Of concern, however, are the longer-term implications of the enhancement of Asian militaries, especially regarding their power projection and area denial capacities and the deployment of potentially destabilizing weapons systems. Developments of national space programs raise concerns over this area assuming greater security dimensions.

Traditional security dilemmas, including on the Korean Peninsula and in the maritime areas of Northeast Asia, persist but were also marked by incremental progress throughout 2008.

Whether or not 2008 serves as a sufficient wake-up call to regional Track One institutions such as the ARF, APEC, etc., and to Track Two processes, in particular CSCAP itself, remains to be seen. 

Download the CRSO 2008.

Published by CSCAP Canada, the Center of International Relations (CIR), University of British Columbia for CSCAP. Email:cscapcan@interchange.ubc.ca.

CRSO 2007 - Security Through Cooperation: Furthering Asia Pacific Multilateral Engagement

There is a real and urgent need for multilateral cooperation and institution-building to manage traditional and non-traditional security threats in the Asia Pacific. This is the consensus of the nine prominent regional experts presented in the first annual CSCAP Regional Security Outlook 2007 (CRSO), entitled Security through Cooperation: Furthering Asia Pacific Multilateral Engagement. The CRSO 2007 was edited by Brian L. Job, CSCAP Canada Co-Chair. The CRSO provides concise issue backgrounds, informative data, and specific policy implications for the regional advancement of ‘security through cooperation' as well as a detailed description of policy implications and initiatives.

Download the CRSO 2007.

Published by CSCAP Canada, the Center of International Relations (CIR), University of British Columbia for CSCAP. Email:cscapcan@interchange.ubc.ca