Calming the waters: initiatives for Asia Pacific maritime cooperation

This monograph includes the discussion papers presented at the First Meeting of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Maritime Cooperation Working Group held in Kuala Lumpur 2-3 June 1995. The establishment of a Working Group on Maritime Cooperation by CSCAP, as part of its initial work programme, is a reflection of the importance of the maritime environment in the security deliberations of Asia Pacific countries. The Asia Pacific region is distinctively maritime in nature. The sea, and issues to do with the sea, are an important part of international relations in the region, both between regional countries themselves, and between these countries and the rest of the world. The importance of maritime cooperation in the Asia Pacific region flows from the nature and complexity of the regional geographical environment, and the propensity for illegal activities and disputes to occur at sea. Maritime cooperation will contribute to regional stability by easing tension and reducing the risks of conflict while helping to promote a stable maritime regime in the region with the free and uninterrupted flow of seaborne trade, and nations able to pursue their maritime interests and manage their marine resources in an ecologically sustainable manner in accordance with agreed principles of international law. The CSCAP Maritime Co-operation Working Group has adopted a broad view of security, which encompasses a range of small 's' security issues, such as maritime safety, resources conservation, coastal zone management and unlawful activities at sea (such as drug smuggling, illegal population movements and piracy),as well as more conventional maritime security issues. A comprehensive approach to security was explicit in the Group's first meeting programme, which included sessions on shipping, marine science, and the marine environment. The papers in this volume provide a comprehensive review of the main maritime security concerns in the region

The seas unite: maritime cooperation in the Asia Pacific Region

This monograph includes the discussion papers presented at the Second meeting of the CSCAP Maritime Cooperation Working Group held in Kuala Lumpur 16-17 April 1996. These papers confirmed that maritime issues, and the maritime environment generally, are a rich source of ideas and initiatives for developing the habit of cooperation and dialogue between Asia Pacific countries. Our choice of title for the proceedings of the second meeting, The Seas Unite: Maritime Cooperation in the Asia Pacific Region, reflects the progress made by CSCAP Maritime Cooperation Working Group in defining issues and identifying key areas for further action. The papers presented to the meeting enabled the Working Group to identify a comprehensive way ahead covering a wide range of initiatives that could provide the basis for a possible regional agreement on maritime cooperation, education and training, and the management of regional seas. These initiatives are described in more detail in the last chapter of this book. Preceding chapters cover areas such as regional naval cooperation, shipping and marine safety, marine scientific research and environmental issues, and the resolution of marine resource and boundary disputes. The CSCAP Maritime Cooperation Working Groups is dealing with issues which are of growing common concern to regional countries. They have immense potential value as a basis for preventive diplomacy and confidence building in the region. This potential has been recognised by the ASEAN Regional Forum but, while progress is being made, there is still a long way to go in implementing practical measures to overcome the tensions and unresolved problems of jurisdiction and sovereignty that exist in the maritime environment of the Asia Pacific region