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POLICY BRIEF CANADA’S RETURN TO EAST ASIA: RE-ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MARITIME DIPLOMACY 1 JAMES MANICOM INTRODUCTION After a decade of neglect, the Canadian government is prepared to re-engage East Asia, particularly China. Adding a maritime component to Canada’s re- engagement efforts would help mitigate threats to the strategic stability that makes economic growth possible and build Canada’s prestige in the region. Recognizing that re-engagement must go beyond bilateral economic issues, Canadian policy makers are seeking to deepen Canada’s regional diplomacy. Canada has signalled its support for regional institutions by acceding to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) (Job, 2010). In an effort to reverse early missteps in Canada’s relationship with China, Canadian Minister of Foreign 1 This policy brief draws on research conducted by the author for “Canadian Debates about China’s Rise: Whither the China Threat?” Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, 3, no. 3 (September 2012): 287–300. KEY POINTS • To rebuild its reputation in the region, Canada should support its East Asian re- engagement efforts through maritime defence and cooperation endeavours, which would improve the region’s strategic stability and foster economic growth. • Canada should strengthen maritime exchanges in East Asia, including joint exercises with Chinese and other regional navies, and partner with East Asian states to build coast guard capacity through tabletop exercises, personnel exchanges and training exercises. • Drawing on its own diplomatic experiences, Canada should foster dialogue in the East Asian region on cooperative living and non-living resource management in disputed waters. NO. 25 FEBRUARY 2013 JAMES MANICOM James Manicom is a research fellow at The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), contributing to the development of the Global Security Program. Previously, he held fellowships at the Ocean Policy Research Foundation in Tokyo and the Balsillie School of International Affairs. His current research explores Arctic governance, East Asian security and China’s role in ocean governance.

Canada’s Return to East Asia: Re-engagement through Maritime Diplomacy

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The Canadian government, after a decade of neglect, is prepared to re-engage East Asia, particularly China. Through maritime defence and cooperation endeavours, Canada’s re-engagement efforts could improve the region’s strategic stability and foster economic growth. Including maritime diplomacy on its economically oriented regional re-engagement strategy would signal that Canada is making a determined return to the region, building the reputation it will need to become a member of East Asia’s premier institutions, and, eventually, create closer economic ties with East Asia. Maritime diplomacy is essential to Canada’s broader regional strategy.

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Page 1: Canada’s Return to East Asia: Re-engagement through Maritime Diplomacy

Policy Brief

Canada’s RetuRn to east asia: Re-engagement thRough maRitime diplomaCy1

James manicom

intRoduCtion

After a decade of neglect, the Canadian government is prepared to re-engage

East Asia, particularly China. Adding a maritime component to Canada’s re-

engagement efforts would help mitigate threats to the strategic stability that

makes economic growth possible and build Canada’s prestige in the region.

Recognizing that re-engagement must go beyond bilateral economic issues,

Canadian policy makers are seeking to deepen Canada’s regional diplomacy.

Canada has signalled its support for regional institutions by acceding to the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s Treaty of Amity and

Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) (Job, 2010). In an effort to reverse early

missteps in Canada’s relationship with China, Canadian Minister of Foreign

1 This policy brief draws on research conducted by the author for “Canadian Debates about China’s Rise: Whither the China Threat?” Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, 3, no. 3 (September 2012): 287–300.

Key points• To rebuild its reputation in the region, Canada should support its East Asian re-

engagement efforts through maritime defence and cooperation endeavours, which would improve the region’s strategic stability and foster economic growth.

• Canada should strengthen maritime exchanges in East Asia, including joint exercises with Chinese and other regional navies, and partner with East Asian states to build coast guard capacity through tabletop exercises, personnel exchanges and training exercises.

• Drawing on its own diplomatic experiences, Canada should foster dialogue in the East Asian region on cooperative living and non-living resource management in disputed waters.

no. 25 FebRuaRy 2013

James maniCom

James Manicom is a research fellow at The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), contributing to the development of the Global Security Program. Previously, he held fellowships at the Ocean Policy Research Foundation in Tokyo and the Balsillie School of International Affairs. His current research explores Arctic governance, East Asian security and China’s role in ocean governance.

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Copyright © 2013 by The Centre for International Governance Innovation.

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Centre for International Governance Innovation or its Operating Board of Directors or International Board of Governors.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial — No Derivatives Licence. To view this licence, visit (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). For re-use or distribution, please include this copyright notice.

Affairs John Baird declared in 2011 that “my government

gets it” before departing for a visit to China and to attend

the ASEAN ministerial conference in Bali (Perkins and

Hoffman, 2011). At the 9th ASEAN-Canada Dialogue

in June 2012, Baird pledged CDN$10  million to fund

various ASEAN initiatives.

Nevertheless, the region still perceives Canada as a

fair-weather Asia-Pacific country that only seeks to

establish the basic elements of trade and investment

relations to diversify its trading partners. According

to then ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan,

Canada’s admission to the region’s leading economic

and defence forums — the East Asian Summit (EAS)

and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)

— remain out of reach until Southeast Asian states are

convinced of the durability of Canada’s re-engagement

(Clark, 2012). As it is widely accepted that “process

matters in an Asia Pacific context...contributing as well

as receiving is important,” Canada should round out its

economic re-engagement strategy with contributions to

regional peace and security (Asia Pacific Foundation of

Canada, 2012: 12).

Maritime diplomacy contributes to regional peace and

stability by addressing urgent problems, such as those

affecting trade and fishing in East Asian waters. The

region relies heavily on these sectors for growth, but

is afflicted with numerous maritime and territorial

disputes that are negatively impacting them. By adding

maritime diplomacy to its economically oriented

regional re-engagement strategy, Canada signals its

determined return to the region, building the reputation

that it requires for membership to East Asia’s premier

institutions. This could, in turn, pave the way for closer

economic ties with East Asia. As Canada has no military

forces permanently deployed to the region, no formal

treaty allies and limited bilateral trade relationships,

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maritime diplomacy is the optimal means to convey

its long-term commitment to the region. Above all,

Canada’s strategy must transcend the electoral cycle;

relationships are built in East Asia over the long term.

maRitime pRoblems in a maRitime Region

Canada’s return to East Asia is occurring during a

strategic transition in the region. After 60 years of stability

that underwrote unprecedented economic prosperity,

East Asia is undergoing a strategic shift, as the United

States re-evaluates its global strategic commitments

at a time when China seems prepared to assert itself.

American primacy in East Asia is being questioned

as a function of its domestic financial woes and the

legacy of fighting two wars in the Middle East. Despite

China’s positive contributions to East Asian regionalism

and free trade, concerns abound over its ambitions

for disputed maritime areas, coupled with the lack of

transparency in its military spending. Although US

President Barack Obama announced an unambiguous

foreign policy shift from the Middle East to Asia in

November 2011, there is no doubt that the American

presence in the region will be different than it has been

(Obama, 2011; US Department of Defense, 2012). All

signs point to a United States that leans more heavily on

its allies to share the burden of military responsibility.

At the 11th International Institute for Strategic Studies

(IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Secretary

of Defense Leon Panetta pledged to keep 60 percent of

the US Navy forward deployed in the region, the most

clear outline of US forces structure “rebalancing” in

East Asia (2012). This amounts to an effort to reassure

regional states of the credibility of the US presence in

the region.

Amid this strategic uncertainty, China has asserted its

maritime claims in the East, and the South China Sea

in particular, with unprecedented vigour. Chinese coast

guard vessels patrol disputed waters more frequently

and have enforced China’s claimed jurisdictional rights

against civilian and military vessels from Japan, Vietnam

and the Philippines. This has resulted in a number of

dangerous armed confrontations at sea. Lurking in

the background is the increasingly capable and active

People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. Recent Chinese

behaviour is widely viewed with apprehension,

and threatens to divide East Asia. Indonesia, which

is not a party to a maritime boundary dispute with

China, lodged reservations with the United Nations

in response to ambiguous Chinese claims to the South

China Sea. Japan, which has typically avoided comment

on Southeast Asian maritime security concerns for fear

of alarming both local and Chinese sensibilities, has

reversed course and moved to support Southeast Asian

states that are party to disputes with China, such as

the Philippines. Furthermore, regional meetings have

become staging grounds for diplomatic confrontations

over Chinese activities at sea. Former US Secretary of

State Hillary Clinton reminded the ASEAN Regional

Forum (ARF) that “legitimate claims to maritime space

in the South China Sea should be derived solely from

legitimate claims to land features” (2010). Chinese

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi reacted angrily, calling

the remarks an “attack on China” (“Foreign Minister

Yang,” 2010). Most recently, Cambodia, which occupied

the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2012, was pressured by

China not to include any mention of maritime tensions

in the final communiqués of ASEAN-centred meetings.

As a state that seeks to capitalize on East Asia’s economic

dynamism, Canada should concern itself with these

challenges to regional peace and security because

they threaten to undermine the economic dynamism

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upon which its regional interests are predicated. This

strategy, however, needs to be carefully calibrated to

avoid alienating China, with whom Canada has only

recently resuscitated relations. Furthermore, maritime

diplomacy will fail if China perceives Canada to be an

extension of the United States.

the Case FoR maRitime diplomaCy

Maritime diplomacy is the best way forward for

Canada because it is instrumental to Canada’s broader

regional strategy. It builds on Canada’s long-standing

track record in the region and it adopts a role familiar to

regional states. Building confidence is Canada’s legacy

in East Asia. Canada has a long and quite successful

track record of Track-Two diplomacy on non-traditional

security issues in East Asia (Evans, 2009), through

efforts such as the Canadian International Development

Agency’s support of the Indonesian-hosted South China

Sea dialogues in the early 1990s. These were important

confidence-building measures, representing the only

set of meetings where all claimants were present,

particularly at a time of escalating tension (Djalal and

Townsend-Gault, 1999). Canada’s role as an honest

broker in the proceedings is evidenced by the fact that

the Chinese were on record as preferring Canadian

funding to US- or Japanese-funded workshops (Snyder,

Glosserman and Cossa, 2001: 2; 13). Conversations

in the region reveal an expectation that Canada’s re-

engagement will carry some of these elements with it.

Contributing to regional peace and security will build

Canada’s regional prestige, which supports the deeper

institutional engagement that Ottawa is pursuing.

Although the East Asian diplomatic calendar can be

burdensome, these meetings drive regional decision-

making processes. As then US Assistant Secretary of

State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell

has suggested, “These institutions, these regular

meetings, tend to drive the process inside government”

(Campbell, 2012). Similarly, Canadian Minister of

National Defence Peter MacKay attended the 2012 IISS

Shangri-La Dialogue to support Canada’s bid for an

invitation to the ADMM Plus; a more active regional

engagement strategy could open doors to the region’s

primary institutions. By leveraging its credentials as

a maritime state as a member of the ARF’s Maritime

Security Working Group, Canada increases its standing

in East Asia. This could, in turn, create momentum

for Canadian participation at the next ADMM Plus

meeting, which has its own maritime security working

group.

Maritime diplomacy and deeper institutional

engagement bring closer political ties and, over time,

improved relations to support Canada’s regional

economic objectives. Canada has been long-time

supporter of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

(APEC) forum and is pursuing membership in the

related Trans-Pacific Partnership. ASEAN-centred

trade liberalization has long existed alongside APEC

initiatives, but has historically excluded non-Asian

states (Stubbs, 2002). By paving the way for membership

in institutions like the EAS, Canada gains a window

into the ASEAN-centred process of regional trade

liberalization including trade, finance and regulatory

discussions. This also supports its efforts to pursue

bilateral trade agreements with East Asian economies.

poliCy ReCommendations

Maritime diplomacy deliberately goes beyond Canada’s

Track-Two legacy; East Asian states have mastered the

“habits of dialogue” (Dewitt, 1994). In an era of growing

naval spending and numerous maritime flashpoints,

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the region is in need of inclusive security cooperation

that builds transparency between navies and coast

guards. Canada is already deepening military ties with

the region, through, for example, its discussions with

Japan towards an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing

Agreement, and is negotiating access to military

facilities in Singapore. These will support Canada’s

proven record of humanitarian assistance and disaster

relief (HADR) within the region, evidenced in Sri Lanka

in 2004, and offered to Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis

in 2008. The proposals outlined below are deliberately

ambitious and are designed to spark debate about

their suitability and feasibility in the context of strained

budgets.

Given Canada’s previous track record as a trusted

bridge builder between China and other states, naval

engagement could be one component of maritime

diplomacy (Adams, 2012). China’s efforts at defence

diplomacy have increased in the past decade, creating

opportunities for more frequent and in-depth Sino-

Canadian defence exchanges. Both countries participate

in the Western Pacific Naval Symposium and Council

for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific. Given that

direct military exercises between the United States

and China are banned by US law, there may be an

opportunity for Canada to conduct its own bilateral

exercises with China; Australia has already done so. In

September 2010, the Royal Australian Navy conducted

an exercise with the PLA Navy in the Yellow Sea,

which included live fire drills, search and rescue (SAR)

operations and joint helicopter missions. The Australian

Defence Force has also conducted a HADR exercise

with the PLA. More ambitiously, Canada and Australia

could work together to foster regular naval interaction

with China, and bring in new partners over time. This

effort would build on the steady stream of Canadian

naval port visits to the region since 1995, and build ties in

advance of China’s participation in the 2014 Rim of the

Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise. The ideal geographic focus

of this engagement would be the western Pacific Ocean,

but a more economical alternative is the Indian Ocean

where many of these potential partners are engaged in

anti-piracy missions.

Frigate HMCS Ottawa (FFH 341) at RIMPAC 2012. Source: Royal Canadian Navy.

If deeper naval links are too politically sensitive, coast

guard cooperation is an alternative avenue that is

valued in East Asia. For instance, despite their often

acrimonious relationship, Chinese and Japanese coast

guards have conducted three SAR exercises together

in an effort to build confidence (Shen and Chen, 2011).

Canada, China, Japan and South Korea are members

of the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum (NPCGF),

which coordinates efforts among members to address

maritime security challenges. Canada could reach out

to other nations, such as South Korea and Japan, who

are interested in conducting joint exercises, exchanges

or tabletop exercises with Chinese coast guards.

Canada already has close working relations with both

the South Korean and Japanese coast guards through

its membership in the North Pacific Anadromous

Fish Commission, which promotes conservation of

anadromous fish stocks in the North Pacific. Like

Canada, East Asian states confront the challenge of

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policing a large exclusive economic zone with limited

resources, thus Canadian expertise and lessons learned

are likely to be appreciated.

Canada could also contribute to coast guard capacity

building in Southeast Asia. Japan trains a number

of Philippine and Indonesian officers at its Coast

Guard Academy. Canada could partner with ASEAN

states to assist these capacity-building efforts, which

could involve Canadian vessels in theatre or simply

educational exchanges. Canada could also explore

regional interest in the establishment of a Southeast

Asian equivalent of the NPCGF. The United States,

China and Japan have all used maritime security

capacity building as part of their efforts to contribute to

regional security in Southeast Asia.

Finally, Canada could foster dialogue on cooperative

resource exploitation in disputed areas. Although the

marginal utility of Track-Two dialogues in East Asia is

on the decline due to their proliferation and a reduction

in earnest participation by Chinese participants, they

are not entirely without value. Canada could lead

discussions toward a regional fisheries management

organization for Southeast Asian waters. Similarly,

Canada could share its experience in maritime

boundary delimitation and resource development in

disputed waters. All East Asian claimant states have

rhetorically committed to this idea, but have been

unwilling to share jurisdiction in contested areas. In

one attempt, the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking

agreement, Chinese, Vietnamese and Philippine oil

companies collaborated in exploration activities in a

disputed area of the South China Sea. Although the

agreement collapsed due to domestic opposition in the

Philippines, this initiative was the deepest cooperation

witnessed among the South China Sea claimants, and

merits resuscitation with Canadian support.

ConClusion

While maritime diplomacy is an ambitious re-

engagement strategy for Canada, two potent

counterpoints are worth considering. Because Canada is

familiar with European security issues and pan-Atlantic

security institutions, such as the North Atlantic Treaty

Organization, it could be argued that it is ill-equipped

to involve itself in matters of East Asian security. East

Asia is home to a different set of multilateral structures

that operate under different rules. In this view, the

proposals herein risk alienating important economic

partners, such as China. Canada should, therefore, limit

its East Asian engagement to economic issues while

leaving strategic questions to those countries directly

affected. For instance, taking a stand on Chinese threats

to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea risks

alienating China for little strategic gain (Manicom, 2012).

An alternative perspective advocates adopting a

“whole-of-country approach” to re-engagement that

seems out of touch with Canada’s history, ongoing

priorities and capacity (Asia Pacific Foundation of

Canada, 2012: 13). Australia, often cited as a model for

Canada’s Asia policy, has doubled-down on the Asian

Century by pledging to strengthen its Asian literacy

(Government of Australia, 2012). However, Canada is

not Australia and will always have important links with

the Americas and with Europe.

By contrast, maritime diplomacy offers a more modest,

if ambitious, route by building on Canada’s past

contributions to regional security and leveraging its

capacity to contribute to stability in East Asia, which

supports its regional economic aspirations.

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woRKs Cited

Adams, Thomas (2012). “Shift to the Pacific: Canada’s

Security Interests and Maritime Strategy in East

Asia.” In Canada’s National Security in the Post-9/11

World: Strategy, Interests, and Threats, edited by David

S. McDonough. Pages 160–173. Toronto: University

of Toronto Press.

Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (2012). Securing

Canada’s Place in Asia: Means, Institutions and

Mechanisms. Vancouver: Asia Pacific Foundation of

Canada.

Campbell, Kurt (2012). “The South China Sea and Asia

Pacific in Transition.” Speech given at the Center

for Strategic and International Studies, June 26.

Washington, DC. Available at: http://csis.org/

files/attachments/120627_SOUTHCHINASEA_

CAMPBELL_TRANSCRIPT.pdf.

Clark, Campbell (2012). “Canada Denied Seat at East

Asia Summit.” The Globe and Mail, September 20.

Available at: www.theglobeandmail.com/news/

politics/canada-denied-seat-at-east-asia-summit/

article4558196/.

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secretary/rm/2010/07/145095.htm.

Dewitt, David (1994). “Common, Comprehensive, and

Cooperative Security.” The Pacific Review 7, no. 1: 1–15.

Djalal, Hasjim and Ian Townsend-Gault (1999).

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World, edited by Chester A. Crocker, Fen Osler

Hampson and Pamela Aall. Pages 107–133.

Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace

Press.

Evans, Paul (2009). “Canada and Asia Pacific’s Track-

Two Diplomacy.” International Journal 64, no. 4.

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asiancentury.dpmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/

white-paper/australia-in-the-asian-century-white-

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Job, Brian (2010). “Revitalizing Canada-Southeast Asia

Relations: The TAC Gives Us a Ticket...But Do

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default/files/filefield/CAASouthEastAsia.pdf.

Manicom, James (2012). “Canada and the South China

Sea Disputes: Challenges for Re-Engagement in

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office/2011/11/17/remarks-president-obama-

australian-parliament.

Panetta, Leon (2012). “The US Rebalance Towards the

Asia-Pacific.” Address to the 11th International

Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Security

Dialogue, Singapore, June 2. Available at: www.iiss.

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la-dialogue-2012/speeches/first-plenary-session/

leonpanetta/.

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Perkins, Tara and Andy Hoffman (2011). “Tories Shift

Toward Much Stronger Trade Ties with China.”

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DownloaD CIGI papers anD reports free from: www.CIGIonlIne.orG/publICatIons

advanCing poliCy ideas and debateThrough its publications program, CIGI informs decision makers, fosters dialogue and debate on policy-relevant ideas and strengthens multilateral responses to the most pressing international governance issues.

poliCy bRieFs

Policy Brief

Canada-US arCtiC Marine CorridorS and reSoUrCe developMent1

John higginbotham, andrea Charron and James maniCom

introdUCtion

The shrinking Arctic ice cap is creating unprecedented geophysical change in the

circumpolar region, a trend that is very likely to continue. Together, this “great

melt” and the delineation of extended national economic zones afford increased

access to economic resources in the Arctic Ocean. Intense activities in commercial,

investment, diplomatic, legal, scientific and academic sectors abound in the new

Arctic, but the region’s long-term significance is only gradually penetrating North

American public consciousness. Media reports such as the recent, virtually ice-

free trans-polar transit of a Chinese icebreaker through the Russian Northern Sea

Route, or the transit of the Northwest Passage by a large cruise ship, are only the

tip of the proverbial economic iceberg. In preparing for the commercialization

1 This policy brief is drawn in large part from discussions at the Arctic Marine Corridors and Resource Development Round Table. The event was held in a House of Commons facility in Ottawa, June 2012.

Key pointS• The Arctic region stands at the cusp of tremendous economic development. Efficient,

secure, environmentally sensitive marine transportation systems and smart public infrastructure could facilitate offshore and onshore energy, mineral, ecotourism and local community development.

• Current Canadian and American government policies, regulations and investment in support of Arctic maritime infrastructure and resource development are inadequate. There is an urgent need for strengthened, comprehensive and innovative national Arctic economic development policies, and Canada-US federal, regional and corporate cooperation in the Arctic.

• Public leadership and private investment, through the development of smart and strategic transportation infrastructure, is urgently needed in the North American Arctic to drive development and facilitate economic activity.

no. 24 noveMber 2012

John higginbothaM

John Higginbotham is a senior distinguished fellow at Carleton University. In his previous roles with the federal government, he coordinated Canada’s Asia-Pacific Gateway Initiative at Transport Canada, was an assistant deputy minister in three departments and served abroad in senior positions in Washington, Hong Kong and Beijing.

andrea Charron

Andrea Charron is assistant professor in political studies at the University of Manitoba. She is also a research associate at Carleton University’s Centre for Security and Defence Studies at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA), where she was a post-doctoral fellow.

JaMeS ManiCoM

James Manicom is a research fellow at The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), contributing to the development of the global security program. Previously, he held fellowships at the Ocean Policy Research Foundation in Tokyo and the Balsillie School of International Affairs. His current research explores Arctic governance, East Asian security and China’s role in ocean governance.

Canada-US Arctic Marine Corridors and Resource Development John Higginbotham, Andrea Charron and James Manicom

In preparing for the commercialization of the Arctic Ocean, Canada and the United States face enormous opportunities in protecting economic and environmental interests; however, a number of challenges impede the fulfillment of this vision.

Policy Brief

Zero: The SurPriSing and unamBiguouS Policy relevance of The cuBan miSSile criSiSJames G. BliGht and janet m. lanG

None of the nuclear-weapon states “has an employee, let alone an inter-agency group,

tasked full time with figuring out what would be required to verifiably decommission

all its nuclear weapons.”

— Jessica T. Matthews, Preface to Abolishing Nuclear Weapons: A Debate

Where black is the color, where none is the number.

— Bob Dylan, “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall”

Key PoinTS

• The threat of nuclear war is more multi-dimensional than ever, requiring

sustained attention by the world’s leaders and citizens. Nuclear weapons

must be abolished. Zero is the right number of weapons in the world.

• A robust, deep and sustained appreciation of the Cuban missile crisis

— a nuclear war that came within an eyelash of happening — is the

prerequisite for energizing movement toward nuclear abolition. Focusing

on the nearness to doomsday can provide an engine for paralyzed

mechanisms of global governance that are already, at least on paper,

committed to zero nuclear weapons.

• The existing global governance mechanisms for reducing nuclear threats

are more than adequate to reach zero nuclear weapons if empowered to

do so by the international community. These include the Non-Proliferation

Treaty, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Comprehensive

Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

no. 2 ocToBer 2012

JameS g. BlighT and janeT m. lang

James G. Blight is the CIGI chair in foreign policy development and professor at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA), and the Department of History at the University of Waterloo.

janet M. Lang is research professor at the BSIA and the Department of History at the University of Waterloo.

Blight and Lang are the authors or co-authors of six previous books on the Cuban missile crisis. Their newest book, The Armageddon Letters: Kennedy/Khrushchev/Castro in the Cuban Missile Crisis, was published in September 2012 by Rowman & Littlefield.

For information about the project, see:

•armageddonletters.com

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Zero: The Surprising and Unambiguous Policy Relevance of the Cuban Missile Crisis James G. Blight and janet M. Lang

Drawing on a quarter century of research on the Cuban missile crisis, this policy brief offers takeaways and recommendations for moving towards zero nuclear weapons.

Policy Brief

reSPoNDiNG To DiSASTer: NeGlecTeD DiMeNSioNS of PrePAreDNeSS AND THeir coNSeQUeNceS

iNTroDUcTioN

The international community has become adept at responding to disasters.

When a disaster hits — whether natural or as the consequence of human

activity — humanitarian relief can be on the ground almost anywhere in the

world in less than 24 hours. The international community has developed an

elaborate network to respond to catastrophes involving the collaboration

of international agencies, humanitarian relief organizations, national

governments and concerned individuals. The collective ability to help save

lives quickly is unprecedented in human history; the problem remains,

however, that one never knows in advance where disaster will strike, what

the immediate needs of those affected will be or what conditions the first

responders will confront. Given these uncertainties, how can disaster-response

planners best position themselves to take action?

It is natural, inevitable and desirable to look to past disasters in order to

improve responses to future ones, but lesson-drawing, in such cases, is rarely

systematic, as responses to disasters are, by their very nature, typically ad hoc.

Key PoiNTS• Disaster responders must develop communications strategies that clearly identify

both what is and is not known in a timely way, and provide, if at all possible, a basis for risk assessment by individuals, communities, national authorities and international contributors.

• Responders must search for ways to provide urgently needed public goods without undermining public authority.

• Responders must address the psychological as well as the physical needs of victims.

• Greater steps must be taken to improve global and regional disaster preparedness.

No. 1 JUly 2012

ANDrew S. THoMPSoN AND DAviD A. welcH

Andrew S. Thompson is adjunct assistant professor of political science at the University of Waterloo, and the program officer for the global governance programs at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA). He is a specialist in the fields of international human rights, civil society movements and fragile states, and has written extensively on these issues.

David A. Welch is CIGI chair of global security at the BSIA and professor of political science at the University of Waterloo. An award-winning author and scholar, David is an expert in foreign policy decision making and international security. He also hosts CIGI’s podcast series Inside the Issues.

Responding to Disaster: Neglected Dimensions of Preparedness and Their Consequences Andrew S. Thompson and David A. Welch

Through a comparison of responses to the recent disasters in Haiti and Japan, this policy brief identifies neglected dimensions of disaster response preparedness and offers suggestions for improvement.

Policy Brief

Unleashing the nUclear Watchdog: strengthening and reform of the iaea

Key Points• TheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA)isthenucleusoftheglobalnucleargovernancesystem.

• Sinceitsestablishmentin1957,theIAEAhasevolveddeftly,sheddingunrealizablegoalsandaddingnewroleswhenrequested,whilecopingwithandlearningfromcatastrophesandalarmingnon-compliancecases—Chernobyl,Iraq,NorthKorea,Iran—andadaptingtotectonicinternationalchangessuchastheendoftheColdWarandthe9/11attacks.

• Today,itfulfillsirreplaceablefunctionsintheareasofnuclearsafeguards,nuclearsafetyandthepromotionofthepeacefulusesofnuclearenergy,andissteadilydevelopingaroleinnuclearsecurity.

• TheAgencyhasmaintainedareputationfortechnicalproficiencyandeffectiveness,despite(orperhapsbecauseof)zerorealgrowthimposedonitformuchofthepast27years.

• TheIAEAcanthusberegardedasa“bargain”forinternationalpeaceandsecurity;ifitdidnotexistitwouldhavetobeinvented.

• Nonetheless,theAgencyisinneedofbothstrengtheningoverallandreforminsomeareas.

• Inrecentyears,theAgencyhassufferedincreasingpoliticizationofitsgoverningbodies,becomeembroiledinaprotractedcompliancedisputewithIranandfalteredinitsresponsetotheFukushimadisaster.

• Inaddition,likeany55-year-oldentity,theAgencyfaces“legacy”issues—notablyinitsmanagementandadministration,useoftechnology,financingand“publicdiplomacy.”

• TheIAEAalsofacessignificantexternalchallenges:avoidingnon-compliancesurprisesbyexploitingnewtechnologiestodetectundeclarednuclearactivities;preparingfortheuncertaintrajectoryofnuclearenergypost-Fukushima;gearingupforequallyuncertainrolesinverifyingnucleardisarmament;meetingstakeholders’expectationsofimprovedtransparencyandaccountability;andmakingendsmeetinaperiodofinternationalfinancialstringency.

• Aboveall,theAgencyneedstherenewedsupportofallitsstakeholders,butespeciallyitsmemberstates,indepoliticizingtheAgency’sgoverningbodies;complyingfullywiththeirobligations;providingtheorganizationwiththenecessarylegalandotherauthorities;andcontributing,incashandkind,toalloftheAgency’sactivities.

no. 23 JUne 2012

trevor findlay

A CIGI Senior Fellow since 2006, Trevor Findlay holds the William and Jeanie Barton Chair in International Affairs at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, where he is a professor and director of the Canadian Centre for Treaty Compliance. He is a graduate of the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University, and a former Australian diplomat. For seven years he was Executive Director of the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre in London, United Kingdom. His previous project for CIGI, from 2006 to 2010, culminated in his four-volume report on The Future of Nuclear Energy to 2030: Implications for Safety, Security and Nonproliferation. Professor Findlay is currently a joint fellow with the International Security Program and the Project on Managing the Atom at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, where he is writing a book on the IAEA.

Unleashing the Nuclear Watchdog: Strengthening and Reform of the IAEA Trevor Findlay

The conclusions of the June 2012 report on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by Trevor Findlay are outlined in this policy brief, which contains recommendations for strengthening and reform of the IAEA.

Cigi papeRs

CIGI PaPersno. 13 — February 2013

Strengthening international Financial inStitutionS to Promote eFFective international cooPerationThomas a. bernes

Strengthening International Financial Institutions to Promote Effective International Cooperation Thomas A. Bernes

The current global financial crisis resulted from the failure of major economies and global institutions to address emerging fault lines in global financial markets and global

institutions. No single country has the ability or resources to fix things on its own — a near-unprecedented degree of collective action is required.

CIGI PaPersno. 12 — January 2013

Another Fine Mess: repAiring the governAnce oF internAtionAl FinAnciAl regulAtionPIerre sIklos

Another Fine Mess: Repairing the Governance of International Financial Regulation Pierre Siklos

Five years after the onset of the global financial crisis, policy makers seemingly continue to believe that the severity of any crisis-led downturn can be divorced from its

source. Credibility in new international regulatory frameworks must begin at home with a determination for monetary policies to work together.

CIGI PaPersno. 11 — January 2013

Leadership in a TurbuLenT ageFen osler HamPson and Paul HeInbeCker

Leadership in a Turbulent Age Fen Osler Hampson and Paul Heinbecker

Sound economic policies, which are in short supply in most key nations of the world, are fundamental to national security and international leadership. The United States must work alongside others — and accept that others will sometimes work together

without it — to deal with a wide range of persistent and emerging global problems and issues.

CIGI PaPersno. 10 — January 2013

SuStainable Development anD Financing critical global public gooDSBarry CarIn

Sustainable Development and Financing Critical Global Public Goods Barry Carin

The idea of a “Green Super Fund” can be framed as a positive sum game, with a win-win-win allocation that would garner widespread global support and ultimately be accepted by all the major players.

CIGI PaPersno. 9 — november 2012

A Policy MisMAtch: cAnAdA And the United stAtes in the AsiA-PAcific RegionJames manICom

A Policy Mismatch: Canada and the United States in the Asia-Pacific Region James Manicom

The United States and Canada, two of the world’s closest allies, have reinvigorated their diplomatic and military postures toward the Asia-Pacific region. On balance, however, Canada may not be an ideal

Pacific partner for the United States.

Page 10: Canada’s Return to East Asia: Re-engagement through Maritime Diplomacy

10 the CentRe FoR inteRnational goveRnanCe innovation

www.Cigionline.oRg poliCy bRieF no. 25 FebRuaRy 2013

about CigiThe Centre for International Governance Innovation is an independent, non-partisan think tank on international governance. Led by experienced practitioners and distinguished academics, CIGI supports research, forms networks, advances policy debate and generates ideas for multilateral governance improvements. Conducting an active agenda of research, events and publications, CIGI’s interdisciplinary work includes collaboration with policy, business and academic communities around the world.

CIGI’s current research programs focus on four themes: the global economy; global security; the environment and energy; and global development.

CIGI was founded in 2001 by Jim Balsillie, then co-CEO of Research In Motion (BlackBerry), and collaborates with and gratefully acknowledges support from a number of strategic partners, in particular the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

Le CIGI a été fondé en 2001 par Jim Balsillie, qui était alors co-chef de la direction de Research In Motion (BlackBerry). Il collabore avec de nombreux partenaires stratégiques et exprime sa reconnaissance du soutien reçu de ceux-ci, notamment de l’appui reçu du gouvernement du Canada et de celui du gouvernement de l’Ontario.

For more information, please visit www.cigionline.org.

Cigi mastheadManaging Editor, Publications Carol Bonnett

Publications Editor Jennifer Goyder

Publications Editor Sonya Zikic

Assistant Publications Editor Vivian Moser

Media Designer Steve Cross

eXeCutive

President Rohinton Medhora

Vice President of Programs David Dewitt

Vice President of Public Affairs Fred Kuntz

CommuniCations

Communications Specialist Kevin Dias [email protected] (1 519 885 2444 x 7238)

Public Affairs Coordinator Kelly Lorimer [email protected] (1 519 885 2444 x 7265)

Page 11: Canada’s Return to East Asia: Re-engagement through Maritime Diplomacy
Page 12: Canada’s Return to East Asia: Re-engagement through Maritime Diplomacy

57 Erb Street WestWaterloo, Ontario N2L 6C2, Canadatel +1 519 885 2444 fax +1 519 885 5450www.cigionline.org