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Forging a common destiny

By Ioan Voicu - posted Friday, 6 October 2006


The recent sixth Asia-Europe Meeting (Asem 6) held in Helsinki was attended by 13 Asian and 25 European nations, as well as the president of the European Commission. Its major theme was ''10 Years of Asem: Global Challenges Joint Responses.'' Since the original Asem in Bangkok in 1996, the summits have played a pivotal role in providing guidance for the future of Asem.

The Asem tenth anniversary was celebrated in the light of the conviction, expressed by its Finnish hosts, that the Bangkok Asem Summit of 1996 was the beginning of a new era in Asia-Europe relations.

One of the most significant results of Asem 6 was the enlargement of this original forum of multilateral diplomacy. It welcomed Bulgaria and Romania on the European side, along with India, Mongolia, Pakistan and the Asean Secretariat on the Asian side.

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Today, Asem countries already account for 40 per cent of the world's population, 50 per cent of gross domestic product and 60 per cent of trade. With the above-mentioned enlargement to 45 participants, by 2008 almost 60 per cent of the world's population will be involved in the Asem sphere.

Can Asem effectively contribute to a fair reform of the globalisation process? This crucial question must be answered collectively. From that perspective Asem 6 dealt with relevant issues of a political, economic and cultural-social nature. The agenda was impressive. Among the issues discussed were the importance of Asia and Europe as global political and economic actors, regional developments and experiences related to security dialogue and cooperation, developments on the Korean Peninsula, events in Burma, the situation in Timor Leste, the stabilisation and rebuilding of Afghanistan, peace in the Middle East, Iran's nuclear programme, national reconciliation and the rule of law in Iraq, strengthening multilateralism, implementation and compliance with the international disarmament and nonproliferation treaties, terrorism, United Nations conventions against transnational organised crime, corruption and illicit drugs, as well as global health security and the state of World Trade Organisation negotiations.

In addition to all of this, an Asem 6 Declaration on Climate Change was adopted. It is a strong message that reflects a common will to tackle this challenge which may have drastic consequences both for Europe and Asia.

The debate on energy security once again demonstrated that Asia and Europe face similar problems and can benefit from a cooperative approach to innovative and renewable energy solutions.

The ''Dialogue among Cultures and Civilisation'' generated ideas and initiatives to prevent and overcome ignorance and prejudice and to promote mutual understanding and tolerance.

The Helsinki meeting considered the prospects for Asem cooperation on the basis of a report entitled ''Asem in its tenth year: Looking back, looking forward.'' The report concludes that Asem has not completely met the expectations placed in it and that its full potential has not been utilised.

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Trade between the EU and Asia has grown tremendously. Between 1995 and 2004 exports by the EU to the Asem countries increased by 56 percent and imports by 137 percent. However, Asem's role in facilitating trade is questionable, and those concrete results which have been achieved are generally deemed insufficient.

Recognising this reality, the Helsinki meeting attempted to act as a diplomatic catalyst and inject life and dynamism into Asem. The Helsinki Declaration on the Future of Asem reiterated the commitment to maintaining and enhancing peace and stability and to promoting conditions conducive to sustainable economic and social development, as well as Asem's mission as a partnership between equals committed to multilateralism.

The intention of Asem is to maintain its informality and flexibility while strengthening its instruments. An Asem Virtual Secretariat is a key tool toward that end. The establishment of the Asem Contingency Dialogue Mechanism for Emergent Economic and Financial Events is another example of a concrete initiative to consolidate the Asem position. In total there were 14 political initiatives, 51 economic and 41 socio/cultural initiatives, as mentioned at the summit.

The Asia-Europe Foundation (Asef), which constitutes the heart of the cultural dialogue and is the only permanent institution of the Asem process, has carried out over 300 projects. Asem 6 re-affirmed support for Asef in enhancing dialogue and cooperation through intellectual, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges, especially involving the younger generation.

China will host Asem 7 in 2008. Until then, there are a number of ''diplomatic tests'' that must be passed. One key challenge is to make Asem more visible and relevant. Asem I, in 1996, agreed to cooperate in promoting effective reform and greater democratisation of the UN system, in particular as concerns the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and UN finances. Asem 6 was an appropriate forum for the continuation of the dialogue on UN reform. What outcome might be reported by Asem 7 in Beijing, in October 2008?

While the EU member states will be able to speak with one voice at the UN, the Asian member states have sharp differences on many points. However, all 45 Asem participants have similar views about multilateralism, with the UN as its centre. Regular contacts between embassies/permanent representations in New York, Brussels, Jakarta or Beijing can enhance the channeling and sharing of useful information.

Asem should avoid becoming a club long on talk and short on substance. If Asem is to serve as a genuine strategic platform for intercontinental cooperation, it needs to promote in-depth negotiations among the 192 UN Member States on matters of common concern, with solutions leading to win-win situations.

The calendar of Asem events for 2006-2008 is very rich. Immediately on the horizon is a seminar by the Asem Diplomatic Academies Network for promoting direct contacts among future diplomatic professionals, hosted by Poland on September 27-30, 2006. The main theme will be ''Regionalism vs Universalism in Global Order.'' The event in Poland is projected to be the first of a series of annual seminars.

''Now it is Asem, no longer us and them,'' some analysts say, both in Asia and Europe. Are they right ? The answer, which may be clear by 2008, will not be arrived at easily.

While the EU is currently in ''reflection mode'' over its future, high-growth Asian economies are engaged in an extraordinary race to forge stronger inter-regional trade and political bonds. Asia and Europe remain more focused on their relations with the United States than with each other, thus defeating one of Asem's essential goals of building a strong triangular relationship between the USA, Europe and Asia.

Asem's unambiguous commitment to its fundamental objectives would be a source of confidence, credibility and synergy. To that end, European ingenuity and Asian adaptability could be better used. The Asem partnership should be energised to become more proactive and less reactive in approaching regional and global problems.

Linked by the call of a common destiny, Asem participants are natural allies in defending international law and in strengthening the fragile web of international institutions. Asem should be animated and guided by universal values, including solidarity, in its collective efforts to shape the configuration of global politics in the 21st century.

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Article edited by Mark Bahnisch.
If you'd like to be a volunteer editor too, click here.

This article was previously published in the Bangkok Post on 24 September 2006.



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About the Author

Dr Ioan Voicu is a Visiting Professor at Assumption University in Bangkok

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