ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM AS A COOPERATIVE SECURITY MECHANISM

Abstract

The article explores the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) as a pivotal cooperative security framework in Asia-Pacific. Cooperative security, characterized by multilateralism, inclusiveness, transparency, and consensus-building, underpins the ARF’s functioning. The study delves into the ARF’s establishment during the post-Cold War era, highlighting ASEAN’s political and diplomatic gains, which fostered trust among major powers and regional actors. The authors analyse the ARF’s development, noting its primary focus on confidence-building measures, reflecting the principles of non-interference and consensus inherent in ASEAN’s norms. Key findings indicate that while the ARF has made strides in enhancing regional security dialogue, it remains constrained by its slow-moving approach to preventive diplomacy and the lack of coercive mechanisms. The Forum's ability to address traditional security challenges, such as the North Korean nuclear threat and the South China Sea dispute, is limited. Therefore, the ARF focuses on addressing non-traditional security issues, including counterterrorism and disaster mitigation. The findings show that ARF's role encompasses extending ASEAN’s cooperative security norms to the broader Asia-Pacific region, promoting transparency and fostering a collaborative security environment by means of confidence-building measures. The article posits that while ASEAN’s leadership in the ARF is more an outcome of regional circumstances than deliberate strategy, the ASEAN Regional Forum remains an important mechanism for security cooperation in Asia-Pacific.