Professor Nicholas Rees

Professor Nicholas Rees
University of Limerick, Ireland

European and Asian security and the role of regional organisations in the post-9/11 environment

Abstract:

The post-9/11 security environment challenged many states in Europe and Asia to rethink their approaches to security and to consider whether regional security arrangements might provide one means of responding to such threats. In this paper we look at the responses of the two regions, focusing specifically on the impact that heightened concern over security has had on the regional organisations in the respective regions. What the paper highlights is the lack of understanding that still exists with regard to what is meant by regionalism and regional identity, and the very different perspectives that exist in “Europe” and “Asia” over security. It also points to the limitations of adopting regional security solutions to regional problems, given the different types of regional organisations that exist in Asia and Europe.

The paper looks at these developments within the EU, including the evolution of the EU’s as a security actor (e.g. institutions, policies and mechanisms), as well as specific anti-terrorism measures, which highlight the EU’s own problems in coordination. In Asia, the response among states in the region has also been fragmented, reflecting different foreign policy outlooks (e.g. concerns about sovereignty and non-intervention) of many of the states and the weak level of security cooperation in regional organisations (e.g. ASEAN, the ASEAN Regional Forum). It is argued that the lack of security cooperation reflects a very different approach to security issues among the states in the region (e.g. informal norm building rather than institutionalization), as well as the limited degree to which security was discussed in such fora. The lack of strong institutionalization and resources have made regional cooperation in Asia more problematic, although attitudes have been changing, given a range of economic (e.g. the financial crisis of late 1997), environmental (e.g. Asian bird flu) and security shocks (e.g. 9/11, Iraq and terrorism). Security matters are now increasingly discussed in Asian regional organisations and form part of the dialogue with the European Union.

The paper examines the degree of security dialogue and interaction that exists between the EU and Asia, which while limited has been growing. However, the region still looks more to the US (and Australia) rather than Europe on security matters, but the EU’s growing interest in security matters and the UN’s commitment to fighting terrorism means that such issues now regularly arise on EU-Asian agendas. The problem is that while the two regions may have much to learn from each other, recent events in Iraq, and even Iran, raise concerns that Europe remains insensitive to other viewpoints. The Asian approach to security cooperation remains far less dependent on institutions than on developing dialogue, consultation and building consensus, which may provide important lessons for the EU. However, such approaches have proven inadequate in addressing security problems, such as in East Timor, where a UN force led by Australia had to take the initiative. The growing role of China in the region, as well as the existence of India and Japan as important security actors, may open up more opportunities for regional security cooperation.

The paper concludes by arguing that while there are more differences than similarities on security matters, there is a need to develop intra and inter-regional dialogue within and between Europe and Asia as the regions have much to learn from each other in their respective approaches to security matters.

Biographical note:

Professor Nicholas Rees holds a BA Hons. degree in American Studies (Politics) from the University of Kent, and an MA (Political Science) and PhD (International Studies) from the University of South Carolina, USA. He was formerly Director of the Center for European Studies and Head of the Department of Government and Society at the University of Limerick, he holds the Jean Monnet Professorship in European Institutions and International Relations and is currently Dean of Graduate Studies at the University of Limerick. He is a research associate of the EuroAsia Centre and a member of the Centre for European Studies.

His teaching and research interests include European integration, EU institutions and multi-level governance; EU external relations; international relations and European security, and the United Nations and UN peace keeping. He is co-author of The Poor Relation: Irish Foreign Policy Towards the Third World and has recently completed a new co-authored book with Terry O’Neill on the United Nations Peacekeeping in the Post-Cold War Era (Frank Cass, 2005). He is currently completing a co-authored book on EU Enlargement and Multi-Level Governance in Public Policy-Making (eds.) London: Ashgate (Forthcoming 2005). He is co-author of “Economic Reforms and Prospects for Democracy in China: Findings from a public opinion survey” published in the Journal of Contemporary China 2004, which was one of the products of a larger research project on democratisation in China funded by the University of Limerick Foundation. He is involved in supervising / co-supervising eight PhD research students, four of whom are working on EU relations with Asian states.

He has been actively involved in co-managing and coordinating a number of EU funded European projects, including a “comparative study of the implementation of EU regional and environment policies in Ireland, Portugal, Greece and the implications for Poland and Hungary” under the EU’s Fifth Framework Programme (€690,000 ECU) in 2001-2003, as well as a further major project on “Integration and Disintegration in Multi-Level Systems of Governance” under the EU-Canada Programme in Higher Education (€102,508 ECU) from April 1996 to June 2000. He has also been active in managing a number of TEMPUS/TACIS projects in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Russia, as well as hosting visiting research fellows from China and elsewhere.

He is former Secretary and President of the Political Studies Association Ireland, a past Chair of the Irish Association for Contemporary European Studies, a member of the Institute of European Affairs and a member of the Committee on the Study of International Affairs, Royal Irish Academy.

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