What is ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)?

Birth 1993

Function

Dialogue platform between between the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and its full dialogue partners. To provide diplomatic solutions to regional problems. Working of ARF

1. Involves minimal institutionalization, 2. The chair of the ARF is rotated annually. The ARF Chairman's Statement, the organization's official declaration, is issued after each ARF meeting. 3. decision making by consensus, 4. use of both first track (official) and second track (nonofficial) diplomacy. What is Track-1 and Track-2 Diplomacy? 1. first-track diplomatic meetings consist of gatherings of leading officials to discuss security measures, 2. Second-track meetings consist of scholars, government individuals not acting in their official capacity, private think tanks, and other individuals and organizations (NGOs). Role of second-track procedures distinguishes ARF from most other international organizations, which generally treat non-official diplomatic measures as residual and peripheral. 3-stage Confidence Building process Stage No. 1 2 Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) development of preventive diplomacy Elaboration of approaches to conflicts.

ARF Member states

ARF has total 27 member states. Dialogue Partners (10) 1. Australia 2. Canada 3. China 4. EU 5. India 6. Japan 7. ROK 8. New Zealand 9. Russia 10. United States Other nations (7)

ASEAN Countries (10) 1. Brunei Darussalam 2. Cambodia 3. Indonesia 4. Laos 5. Malaysia 6. Myanmar 7. Philippines 8. Singapore 9. Thailand 10. Vietnam

1. Bangladesh 2. DPRK 3. Mongolia 4. Pakistan 5. Papua New Guinea 6. Timor Leste 7. Sri Lanka

ARF process is three-tiered Tier Activity

annual ARF meeting at the level of Ministers in July/August in the capital of the ASEAN Chair for the year. (ASEAN chair is rotated every year).

1 (1.5) 2

Seminars of scholars and officials from member states acting in their personal capacity ARF Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) Inter-Sessional Support Group (ISG) on CBMs and Preventive Diplomacy They hold annual meetings known as Annual inter-sessional meetings (ISMs)

Four Intercessional meetings of ISMs 1. 2. 3. 4. on counter-terrorism and trans-national crime (CTTC), maritime security, disaster relief non-proliferation and disarmament. Vision Statement for ARF for 2020

adopted at the 16th ARF Ministerial held in Phuket, Thailand Talks about two things o ARF is a central pillar in the emerging regional security architecture. o strengthening ARFs role in raising awareness on security challenges and intensifying confidence building and cooperation Hanoi Plan of Action (POA)

Contains policy guidance for how to implement that ^Vision 2020 involving concrete and practical actions in the fields of 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Disaster relief maritime security non-proliferation and disarmament counter-terrorism Peacekeeping. India and ARF:

member of the ARF since 1996. Our participation is consistent with our Look East policy, and development of closer links with the ASEAN as a full-dialogue partner. Weve co-chaired ARF Inter-sessional Support Group (ARF-ISG) on CBMs and Preventive Diplomacy Weve organized several seminars, workshops and training programmes for ARF Members. For example, o UN Peacekeeping course @Delhi o maritime security training course @Chennai o Anti-piracy training @Mumbai by Coast Guard o cyber security (dont know @where ).