DEFENDING EXPANDING DEFENCE WHITE PAPER 2011 THE NATION’S SOVEREIGNTY: ROLES IN WIDER HORIZONS DEFENDING THE NATION'S SOVEREIGNTY: EXPANDING ROLES IN WIDER HORIZONS d DEFENCE WHITE PAPER PROMOTING A STABLE ENVIRONMENT “... It is necessary for the Ministry of Defence and Royal Brunei Armed Forces to build bilateral and multilateral cooperation with other countries the within the concept of Defence Diplomacy.” His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s Titah (Royal Speech) in conjunction with the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Golden Jubilee Anniversary Celebration on 31st May 2011 Defence Diplomacy The establishment of the ASEAN Political-Security Community, now to be achieved by 2015, builds directly upon those foundations. It provides a comprehensive, professional and practical framework for future security cooperation. It also signals a renewed ASEAN resolve to actively pursue conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict peace building measures. 2011 The nature of the new security challenges makes it imperative that an effective response extends well beyond each nation’s capacity to manage its own affairs. The scale and immediacy of natural disasters can quickly overwhelm the capacity of individual The linchpin of the new arrangements is the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM). The ADMM is supported by Senior Officers Meetings responsible for developing the practical initiatives to give effect to that cooperation. The complexity of transnational challenges requires extensive knowledge sharing and coordinated assistance and disaster relief and of how to maximise cooperation with civil agencies in Instability within individual nations, apart from any immediate impact on neighbouring countries, can impact on a region’s ability collectively to manage its own affairs. The recent introduction of the ADMM-Plus arrangements engages ASEAN’s primary security partners in these initiatives, helping to promote alignment between ASEAN’s security concerns and those of the broader Asia-Pacific community. nations to respond. Studies action to deny radical groups the means and the freedom to act. Concern for the security of sea lanes and access to resources provides a particular imperative for strategically located nations to assure safe movement. Unresolved boundaries, growing maritime capabilities, and major power relativities reinforcing the importance of collectively managing issues arising in the South China Sea. are Close cooperation with others is essential to maximising national capacity, providing early warning of potential challenges, and undertaking a coordinated response to issues of shared concern. Regional Security Cooperation In recent years, ASEAN has taken a number of important initiatives to improve the effectiveness of security cooperation both among its members and in seeking to shape the broader Asia-Pacific security context. The establishment of the ASEAN Regional Forum transparency and promoting confidence building. provided an important vehicle for greater The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in 2002 provided evidence of ASEAN’s new resolve to more actively manage the security environment. have been undertaken of ASEAN military capacities to provide humanitarian responding to complex, non-traditional challenges. An agenda of five initial areas for cooperation has been agreed — humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime security, military medicine, counter-terrorism and peace-keeping operations. Member countries have volunteered to take the lead in their development. Expert Working Groups will provide the essential inputs. While the initial agenda may appear modest, it has several important advantages. It gives priority to those strategic issues that are, in the immediate future, the most likely causes of instability, whether domestic or between nations. It assists to develop the independent capacity of nations to manage those challenges. It is establishing the essential elements for professional cooperation in a range of future contingencies. Developing shared doctrine and communications links and Ane AN experience with joint planning and operational command and control are the essential foundations. clear The strengthening of the East Asian Summit, and the insistence that all participants accept the principles of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in South East Asia, reinforced ASEAN’s value as the focus for Asia-Pacific security dialogue. September 11 and the Bali bombings provided the initial catalyst for much more extensive practical cooperation. A web of new arrangements, both bilateral and multilateral, sought to strengthen national counter terrorist capabilities and share information and expertise on terrorism and transnational crime. The united response to mitigate the devastating effects of the natural disasters left no doubt not only as to the operational necessity of such cooperation but also the commitment of neighbours. 1 ADMM Pius VIETNAM 2010 me UURL 1" ASEAN nine J a Lit UG . aYaii fi i HUNG! DEFENCE . peal tes etl MINISTERS’ MEETING i a) WIM . ea . ire | 7 7 7 J] . ] | " . ae | P!-JS |