Comprehensive Security Governance in East Asia :Converging Concepts, Institutions and Approaches

Abstract

Whether the current security mechanism can cope with the proliferation of non-traditional security concerns in East Asia that have accompanied globalization is a question that will linger in the minds of both policy makers and academics for some time to come. The security system of East Asia today is largely a manifestation of the needs of the post World War Ⅱ and the Cold War structure constructed mostly according to the demands that the US had faced. This paper will discuss the distinct need for mechanisms which may ameliorate some of the concerns regarding human security, as well as the pressing need to incorporate the human security aspect to what the authors of this paper call Comprehensive Security Governance. This paper is an attempt to draw a plausible constructive roadmap to advocate comprehensive security in East Asia, based on the combination of 1) a convergence on the conceptualization of security, 2) a convergence, and the overlapping, of institutions and, 3) a convergence of multilateral and multi-faceted cooperation and governance networks among individual governments, international organizations, NGOs and civil societies. The three convergences of concept, institutions and governance have to proceed together in order to have any positive progress towards an encompassing multilateral and comprehensive security governance to arise in East Asia.