Denmark Lee D.

Calaoagan

INTRODUCTION IN ASEAN

ASEAN is the Association of South East Asian Nations. It promotes the economic
growth of 10 countries located south of China. In 2017, its gross domestic product
was $7.9 trillion, an increase of 5.3%. That makes it the fifth-largest in the world. This
was about a third of China's $25.3 trillion GDP. ASEAN members need this combined
economic clout to compete with the world's largest economy. ASEAN was created on
August 8, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand. It was founded by Indonesia, Malaysia,
Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. On December 15, 2008, ASEAN approved a new
charter, giving the organization status as a legal entity. By the discussion of Dr.
Tabunda, I learned also about the ASEAN Integration that aims to help strengthen and
stabilize each country’s economic growth and development. Primarily, the ASEAN
union was created to help Southeast Asian countries to develop Economic growth,
Socio-cultural development and Political-Security. All of the plans made by the
ASEAN union for the betterment of our country and also the other members are
integrated in the ASEAN Economic Blueprint. Supposedly, the leaders of the ASEAN
union have envisioned the completion of their goals by the year 2020 but they
changed it to 2015 instead, to make sure that they can fast track the growth and
development of their countries.
ASEAN is the fourth-largest exporting region in the world, trailing only the European
Union, North America, and China/Hong Kong. It accounts for 7 percent of global
exports—and as its member states have developed more sophisticated manufacturing
capabilities, their exports have diversified. Vietnam specializes in textiles and apparel,
while Singapore and Malaysia are leading exporters of electronics. Thailand has joined
the ranks of leading vehicle and automotive-parts exporters. Other ASEAN members
have built export industries around natural resources. Indonesia is the world’s largest
producer and exporter of palm oil, the largest exporter of coal, and the second-largest
producer of cocoa and tin. While Myanmar is just beginning to open its economy, it
has large reserves of oil, gas, and precious minerals. In addition to exporting
manufactured and agricultural products, the Philippines has established a thriving
business-process-outsourcing industry. China, a competitor, has become a customer.
In fact, it is now the most important export market for Malaysia and Singapore. But
demand from the United States, Europe, and Japan continues to propel growth.
I learned ASEAN Topic as organization that helps all countries here in southeast Asia
are to build a cohesive and prosperous ASEAN community. Its mission is to commit to
promoting ASEAN awareness through people-to-people interaction and collaboration
with ASEAN stakeholders to help ASEAN build a caring, cohesive, equitable and
peaceful ASEAN Community.
Denmark Calaoagan
Track 2 Diplomacy
The brainchild of a handful of academics, free-thinking State Department bureaucrats,
and public intellectuals in the 1970s, “Track II” diplomacy grew out of the observation
that private individuals, meeting unofficially, can find their way to common ground
that official negotiators can’t. Put bluntly, “citizens could take some action rather than
simply being bystanders while the grown-up governments acted like jerks,” says
Joseph V. Montville, the former Foreign Service officer who first put the term down on
paper in the pages of Foreign Policy 30 years ago. Governments once viewed Track II
as a kind of feel-good exercise at best, and at worst as a genuine threat — freelance
diplomacy, after all, can damage the real kind. But three decades later, most of them
have come to understand that an era of unconventional conflicts requires
unconventional solutions
I learned by the discussion of Dr. Arugay III are Diplomacy, like an onion, has many
layers. The most visible and important layer is official diplomacy between heads of
state, ministers and officials. Beneath this top level diplomacy is a network of
unofficial activities and dialogues – between civil society organizations, academics and
private citizens – that help to support and strengthen official ties.The most notable of
these is track II diplomacy, involving unofficial dialogue between academics, non-
government organizations and other civil society leaders to build relationships and
encourage new thinking. Track II diplomacy plays an important role in promoting
understanding between countries. As an unofficial channel of dialogue, conversations
at the track II level are more open, free and frank, allowing participants to find their
way to common ground that official representatives and negotiations cannot. Thus, the
track II process is particularly valuable when government-level discussions have
reached an impasse.When implemented well, track II dialogues support the track II
process by bridging differences, managing conflicts and promoting peace and
understanding. An effective track II process will also bring out new ideas and
perspectives, and foster closer connections between academics, civil society leaders
and institutions. However, setting up an effective track II dialogue requires several
elements to ensure that discussions are valuable. First, track II participants must
have a genuine interest in furthering the relationship between countries and a desire
to understand the views, challenges and circumstances faced by the other side. This
interest should be reflected in clear objectives and a well-designed agenda that steers
conversation towards meaningful and constructive dialogue. Each delegation should
define their metrics of success and failure and, where appropriate, work with other
delegations to develop shared goals for each dialogue. Having well-defined goals
ensures that each track II dialogue has a distinct purpose and is focused on making
headway on the objectives. Secondly, if track II is ‘informal diplomacy’, issues
discussed at track II should engage ideas and perspectives that are relevant to track I
and address current tensions, disputes and conflicts. Consideration should be given to
ways in which track II knowledge, progress and recommendations can be fed into
official processes, without compromising the independence of participants. Thirdly, all
forms of diplomacy are fundamentally about people, and successful track II events are
designed with people in mind. The process should encourage free and frank
discussion, and feature topics that are engaging and relevant to the participants. The
dialogue should bring together discussants with the right knowledge, expertise and
experience to contribute relevant perspectives to the issues at hand, as well as
experienced facilitators and chairs to set the right tone and dynamic for productive
discussions.
Denmark Lee D. Calaoagan
International trade & Economic Diplomacy

By the Discussion of Dr. Del Rosario, The International trade, economic transactions
that are made between countries. Among the items commonly traded are consumer
goods, such as television sets and clothing; capital goods, such as machinery; and raw
materials and food. Other transactions involve services, such as travel services and
payments for foreign patents (see service industry). International trade transactions
are facilitated by international financial payments, in which the private banking
system and the central banks of the trading nations play important roles.
International trade and the accompanying financial transactions are generally
conducted for the purpose of providing a nation with commodities it lacks in exchange
for those that it produces in abundance; such transactions, functioning with other
economic policies, tend to improve a nation’s standard of living. Much of the modern
history of international relationsconcerns efforts to promote freer trade between
nations. This article provides a historical overview of the structure of international
trade and of the leading institutions that were developed to promote such trade.

And the Economic diplomacy not only promotes the state’s prosperity but also, as
occasion demands and opportunity permits, manipulates its foreign commercial and
financial relations in support of its foreign policy – as in the case of sanctions against
Iran. Accordingly, economic diplomacy is a major theme of the external relations of
virtually all countries. At home, economic ministries, trade and investment promotion
bodies, chambers of commerce, and of course foreign ministries, are all participants in
economic work. Current trends include increasing collaboration between state and
non-official agencies, and increased importance given to WTO issues, the negotiation
of free trade and preferential trade agreements, and accords covering investments,
double taxation avoidance, financial services and the like. Abroad, embassies,
consulates, and trade offices handle economic diplomacy. The main focus is on
promotion, to attract foreign business, investments, technology and tourists.
Economic diplomacy connects closely with political, public and other segments of
diplomatic work. This online course is practice-oriented, and aims at capacity
development.
Denmark Lee D. Calaoagan
Globalization and United Nation

By the discussion last Saturday of Dr. Amador the Globalization is an historical

process that began with the first movement of people out of Africa into other parts of
the world. Traveling short or long distances, migrants, merchants and others have
delivered their ideas, customs and products to new lands. The melding, borrowing and
adaptation of outside influences are found in many areas of human life. The
importance of Globalization is Foreign direct investment (FDI) tends to increase at a
much greater rate than the growth in world trade, helping boost technology transfer,
industrial restructuring, and the growth of global companies. Increased competition
from globalization helps stimulate new technology development, particularly with the
growth in FDI, which helps improve economic output by making processes more
efficient and. Globalization enables large companies to realize economies of scale that
reduce costs and prices, which in turn supports further economic growth.

And He also discuss about United nation. I learn about The aim of the United Nations
system is to prevent war from happening, restoring security, protecting people and
advancing human development and social progress .Everyone should feel protected,
this is why the United Nations is called a “family”, where each and every person works
and contributes to making other people secure, protected, loved and wanted. Where
people can live their lives in freedom, peace and can solidarity work together to give
life a meaning, and where all the basic needs are fulfilled. An ideal world where each
and every person has the opportunity to born, eat, study, be loved by a caring family,
grow in a protected shelter, have a job that satisfies a person’s professional skills, love
and create another family, share experiences and life moments with other people,
creating a circle of open minds and hearts where dialogue is the pillar of development,
progress and caring for the human beings and the planet earth.Tolerance,
understanding, desire of knowledge, curiosity towards peoples and cultures, open-
mindedness towards new things: these feelings can make us move forward in life,
giving us the love, passion and motivation to pursue our dreams, thinking, imagining
and concretely acting towards the construction of a better word, where everyone is
included and where support, teamwork, trust and compassion are the foundation of
this new world.

.
Denmark Lee D., Calaoagan
International Relation

The study and practice of international relations is interdisciplinary in nature,

blending the fields of economics, history, and political science to examine topics such
as human rights, global poverty, the environment, economics, globalization, security,
global ethics, and the political environment Exceptional economic integration,
unprecedented threats to peace and security, and an international focus on human
rights and environmental protection all speak to the complexity of international
relations in the twenty-first century. This means the study of international relations
must focus on interdisciplinary research that addresses, anticipates, and ultimately
solves public policy problems.
International relations (often referred to international affairs) has a broad purpose in
contemporary society, as it seeks to understand:

 The origins of war and the maintenance of peace

 The nature and exercise of power within the global system
 The changing character of state and non-state actors who participate in
international decision-making

For example, some institutions may study the psychological and social-psychological
reasoning behind the actions of foreign policymakers, while others may focus their
international studies on the institutional processes that contribute to the goals and
behaviors of states. Ultimately, the area of international relations studied depends on
the goals or objectives of the organization.
Examining the Theories of International Relations
The study of international relations involves theoretical approaches based on solid
evidence. Theories of international relations are essentially a set of ideas aimed at
explaining how the international system works.
The two, major theories of international relations are realism and liberalism:
Realism
Realism focuses on the notion that states work to increase their own power relative to
other states. The theory of realism states that the only certainty in the world is power;
therefore, a powerful state—via military power (the most important and reliable form of
power)—will always be able to outlast its weaker competitors. Self-preservation is a
major theme in realism, as states must always seek power to protect themselves.
In realism, the international system drives states to use military force. Although
leaders may be moral, they must not let morality guide their foreign policy.
Furthermore, realism recognizes that international organizations and law have no
power and force, and that their existence relies solely on being recognized and
accepted by select states.
Liberalism (Idealism)
Liberalism recognizes that states share broad ties, thus making it difficult to define
singular independent national interests. The theory of liberalism in international
relations therefore involves the decreased use of military power. The theory of realism
began to take shape in the 1970s as increasing globalization, communications
technology, and international trade made some scholars argue that realism was
outdated.
Liberal approaches to the study of international relations, also referred to as theories
of complex interdependence, claim that the consequences of military power outweigh
the benefits and that international cooperation is in the interest of every state. It also
claims that exercising economic power over military power has proven more effective.
Although the liberal theory of international relations was dominant following World
War I while President Woodrow Wilson promoted the League of Nations and many
treaties abolishing war, realism came back into prominence in the Second World War
and continued throughout the Cold War.
I learned a lot in this discussion international relations promotes successful trade
policies between nations. International relations encourages travel related to business,
tourism, and immigration, providing people with opportunities to enhance their lives.
Denmark Lee D. Calaoagan
Philippine Foreign Policy

The most important provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which pertain to
the framing of Philippine foreign policy are as follows:
Article II, Section 2: "The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national
policy, adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law
of the land and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice."Article II, Section 7:
"The State shall pursue an independent foreign policy. In its relations with other states
the paramount consideration shall be national sovereignty, territorial integrity,
national interest, and the right to self-determination."Republic Act No. 7157, otherwise
known as "Philippine Foreign Service Act of 1991", gives mandate to the Department of
Foreign Affairs to implement the three (3) pillars of the Philippine Foreign Policy, as
follows:

1. Preservation and enhancement of national security

2. Promotion and attainment of economic security

3. Protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interest of Filipinos
overseas.

These pillars overlap and cannot be considered apart from each other. Together with
the eight (8) foreign policy realities outlined by the President, they reinforce each other
and must be addressed as one whole.

These eight foreign policy realities are:

· China, Japan and the United States and their relationship will be a determining
influence in the security situation and economic evolution of East Asia;

· Philippine foreign policy decisions have to be made in the context of ASEAN;

· The international Islamic community will continue to be important for the

Philippines;

· The coming years will see the growing importance of multilateral and inter-regional
organizations to promote common interests;

· As an archipelagic state, the defense of the nation's sovereignty and the protection of
its environment and natural resources can be carried out only to the extent that it
asserts its rights over the maritime territory and gets others to respect those rights;

· The country's economic policy will continue to be friendly to both domestic and
foreign direct investments;

· The Philippines can benefit most quickly from international tourism

· Overseas Filipinos will continue to be recognized for their critical role in the country's
economic and social stability.

I learned about belief is that the foreign policy of states is determined by the anarchic
structure of the international. This leaves states in a ‘permanent security dilemma’, a
continual search for security, which is achieved through self-help and mutual distrust
with other states. Hence to survive, states seek to maximize their relative material
power at the expense of others. Foreign policy is believed to be determined by this, and
through the number of great powers (poles) in the international system.
Denmark Lee D. Calaoagan
Maritime Security, UNCLOS and South China sea

Maritime Security is one of the latest buzzwords of international relations. Major

actors in maritime policy, ocean governance and international security have in the
past decade started to include maritime security in their mandate or reframed their
work in such terms. In 2014 the United Kingdom, the European Union as well as the
African Union (AU) have launched ambitious maritime security strategies. The North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) included maritime security as one of its objectives
in its 2011 Alliance Maritime Strategy. The U.S. pioneered this development when
launching a national Maritime Security Policy in 2004. Also, the Maritime Safety
Committee (MSC) of the International Maritime Organization included maritime
security in their list of tasks. As reflected in the U.S. policy, the concept of ‘maritime
security’ gained initial salience after the terrorist attacks of September 11th and the
associated fears over the spread of maritime terrorism. If maritime terrorism has
largely remained a virtual threat the breakthrough for maritime security came with
the rise of piracy off the coast of Somalia between 2008 and 2011. The dangers of
piracy for international trade brought the maritime dimension of security to the global
consciousness and lifted it high on policy agendas. Moreover, the inter-state tensions
in regions, such as the Arctic, the South China Sea, or the East China Sea and the
significant investments in blue water navies of emerging powers, such as India and
China, have increased attention for the oceans as a security space.
They refer to threats such as maritime inter-state disputes, maritime terrorism, piracy,
trafficking of narcotics, people and illicit goods, arms proliferation, illegal fishing,
environmental crimes, or maritime accidents and disasters. The argument is then that
maritime security should be defined as the absence of these threats. This ‘laundry list’
approach to defining maritime security has rightfully been criticized as insufficient
since it does neither prioritize issues, nor provides clues of how these issues are inter-
linked, nor outlines of how these threats can be addressed. It moreover creates
enduring puzzles over which threats should be included. Are climate change and
disasters at sea maritime security issues? Should inter-state disputes be treated in
terms of national security rather than maritime security? Others advocate for an
understanding of maritime security as “good” or “stable order at sea”

UNCLOS is an acronym for the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea. The
convention is also sometimes referred to as the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law
of the Sea treaty. UNCLOS, as a law of the sea came into operation and became
effective from 16th November 1982.

However, the first time such a proposal was announced before the United Nations was
in the year 1973. Over the course of nine years, with representations from over 160
countries coming forward, UNCLOS came into existence. The background of UNCLOS
covers can be explained in detail as follows
Before the nautical law of UNCLOS came into force, there existed a school of thought
known as freedom-of-the-seas. This doctrine had first come into operation during the
17th century. As per this law, there were no limits or boundaries set to the aspect of
marine business and commercial activities.

Over the years and centuries as technology developed and the needs of the people
across the world grew, there emerged a problem. Over-exploitation of the sea’s
resources was immensely felt towards the middle of the 20th century and many
nations started feeling the need to ensure protection of their marine resources.

Starting with United States in the 1945, many countries across the world brought
under their jurisdiction, the natural resources found in their oceans’ continental shelf.
Some of the countries that exercised this power were Argentina, Canada, Indonesia,
Chile, Peru, Ecuador and even countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Ethiopia and
Venezuela.

Since the usage of the marine reserves rose even more in the 1960s and since missile
launch pads also starting getting based in the oceanic bed, it became imperative that a
specific regulation be placed to ensure proper protection and jurisdiction of the marine
reserves.

In 1967, the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea was convened. In
this conference, the UN ambassador from Malta Mr. Arvid Pardo requested for a legal
power that could bring about international governance over the oceanic floor and bed.
Such a legal power would also ensure that there would not be any problems arising
between various countries over the oceanic floor and bed space.

In a major way, it was this UNCLOS III that paved the way for the now existing
nautical law.

The features and the highlights of the same can be explained as follows:

 UNCLOS as the currently prevailing law of the sea is binding completely.

 Even as the name of the nautical law suggests a United Nations’ involvement, the
UN does not have any major functional role in the working of UNCLOS

 There are 17 parts, 320 articles and nine annexes to UNCLOS

 The law of the sea provides for full money rights to nations for a 200-mile zone
by their shoreline. The sea and oceanic bed extending this area is regarded to be
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and any country can use these waters for their
economic utilisation

 The IMO (International Maritime Organisation) plays a vital role in the operation
of UNCLOS. Along with the IMO, organisations like the International Whaling
 Commission and the International Seabed Authority are vital parties in the
functional areas of the nautical law
 Even though UNCLOS has 160 member parties, the US is a country that has
still not sanctioned (ratified) the nautical law. The main reason for the US not
sanctioning the law of the sea arises mainly because of its disagreement about
Part XI of UNCLOS.
 This part deals with the aspect of the minerals found on the seabed on the EEZ.
The International Seabed Authority was established on the basis of this part of
the nautical law and called for equitable distribution of the proceeds of such
seabeds. The US is opposed to this theory and that is why it has not ratified
UNCLOS in spite of it being one of the most important members of the United
Nations.
 With the help of a nautical law like UNCLOS, it can be said that marine
resources can be protected and safeguarded, especially in contemporary times
where the need for marine resources’ protection has increased even more than
it was during the 1960s and 70s.

I learned new maritime security initiative seems to share an affinity with the “Arc of
Freedom and Prosperity” and “value-oriented diplomacy” policies of earlier
administrations, which were also conceived with China in mind. But from another
perspective, it is possible to see the new initiative as one part of a number of highly
important, substantive cooperative relationships—including economy and trade.
Guaranteeing maritime security and ensuring that the region’s cooperative
relationships are not hindered by problems of sovereignty and nationalism arising
from sudden clashes at sea will be vital for cooperation in East Asia, given the
emphasis on economic issues in the region. And the importance of Unclos is covers a
wide range of ocean issues, it also provides the legal framework for their sustainable
development. UNCLOS has thus emerged as animportant part of the international
legal system and also serves as an importantinstrument for the protection of the
marine environment.
Denmark Lee Calaoagan

Regional Security and ASEAN

ASEAN Leaders at their Ninth Summit on 7 October 2003 in Bali, Indonesia adopted
the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II (Bali Concord II), which stipulated the
establishment of the ASEAN Community resting on three pillars, namely, an ASEAN
Security Community (ASC), an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and an ASEAN
Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). In view of the closely intertwined and mutually
reinforcing nature of these three pillars, they have been developed and being
implemented in a parallel and balanced manner for the purpose of ensuring durable
peace, stability and shared prosperity in the region. ASEAN recognizes the strong
inter-connections among political, economic and social realities, and its plan of action
to realize the ASC acknowledges the principle of comprehensive security, and commits
to address the broad political, economic, social and cultural aspects of building an
ASEAN Community. It also acknowledges that political and social stability, economic
prosperity, narrowed development gap, poverty alleviation and reduction of social
disparity would constitute strong foundation for a sustained ASC given its
subscription to the principle of comprehensive security. The ASCC, on the other
hand, would be a community of caring societies where the development and
enhancement of human resources is a key strategy for employment generation,
alleviating poverty and socio-economic disparities, and ensuring economic growth with
equity.

The threats to security in the ASEAN region, on the whole, remain to be poverty,
transnational health threats/infectious diseases, environmental degradation and
natural disasters, and transnational crime. Poverty and its consequences need no
elaboration. Transnational health threats include HIV and AIDS, SARS, and Avian
Influenza (AI). Threats from environmental degradation are deforestation and over-
exploitation of natural resources for economic development; air, water, solid waste and
toxic waste pollutions as a result of increasing industrialization; while natural
disasters include those due to climate change like floods and droughts, and the rare
but highly disastrous tsunami, and man-made disasters such as forest fires and the
resulting haze. Transnational crimes include terrorism, illicit drug trafficking,
trafficking in persons, money laundering, and other crimes such as arms smuggling,
sea piracy, international economic crime and cyber crime.

Terrorism

ASEAN has signed Joint Declarations in the Fight against International Terrorism with
all its Dialogue Partners, except with Canada which is expected to be concluded later
this year. A number of activities have also been conducted to enhance the capacity of
ASEAN law enforcement agencies to deal with the crime, including the ASEAN-
European Commission (EC) Regional Programme on Counter-Terrorism, which
focused on border management and document security. ASEAN will also consider
establishing a convention on counter-terrorism which will be deliberated at the
forthcoming 6th Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crimes (SOMTC) in June
2006.

(b) Illicit Drug Trafficking

ASEAN has targeted to realize the region as drug-free by the year 2015. This target
has been advanced from the original target of 2020 due to a growing concern over the
repercussions of drug abuse and illicit trafficking on ASEAN’s goal towards peace and
prosperity. Under the ASEAN-China Cooperative Operations in Response to
Dangerous Drugs (ACCORD), satisfactory actions have been undertaken to reduce the
production of natural drugs such as opium and cannabis, especially in the Golden
Triangle area, as well as synthetic drugs such as ATS and ecstasy. Several training to
enhance the capacity of enforcement personnel in dealing with various aspects of drug
production and trafficking have been held in collaboration with China and Australia.

(c) Trafficking in Persons

ASEAN’s commitment to combat trafficking in persons in the region was affirmed by

the adoption of the ASEAN Declaration against Trafficking in Persons, Especially
Women and Children by the 10th ASEAN Summit in 2004. Concrete action
programmes to implement the Joint Declaration will be discussed at the forthcoming
6th SOMTC. To-date, ASEAN has implemented a number of activities to combat
trafficking in persons, including a just-concluded four-year cooperation with Australia
on ASEAN Regional Cooperation to Prevent People Trafficking (ARCPPT) that aims to
enhance the capacity of ASEAN criminal justice response to trafficking in
persons. The cooperation will be extended for another four years which will involve six
ASEAN Member Countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and
Thailand. Currently, there is the ASEAN-US Pilot Research Project for the Improved
Collection of Data on Trafficking in Persons among ASEAN Member Countries being
implemented in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

(d) Money Laundering

ASEAN is working closely with the Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APGML)
in anti-money laundering. ASEAN and APGML are currently coordinating for Technical
Assistance and Training (TA&T) to Combat Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
for ASEAN Member Countries. Under ASEAN’s own cooperation mechanism, ASEAN
will be conducting a second training course on Anti-Drug Money Laundering for
ASEAN Law Enforcement Officers, in Singapore later this year, to share expertise,
experience and knowledge on the subject matter.

(e) Other Crimes – Arms Smuggling, Sea Piracy, International Economic Crime,
and Cyber Crime.

While focusing its cooperation on combating the transnational crimes mentioned

above, ASEAN maintains committed efforts at combating arms smuggling, sea piracy,
international economic crime, and cyber crime. ASEAN will continue to share best
practices and lessons learned associated with the management and control of small
arms, especially in post-conflict environments to contribute to political, economic and
social development, as well as to the reduction in other forms of transnational
organized crimes. ASEAN and US will jointly conduct a Seminar on Maritime Domain
Awareness (MDA) early next year, aimed at enhancing the capability of ASEAN
maritime security agencies of anything associated with the maritime domain that
could impact safety, security, commerce, or the environment. Already, Indonesia,
Malaysia and Singapore are cooperating to combat piracy in the Straits of
Malacca. Concerned over the growing criminal abuse of internet technology, ASEAN
will convene joint activities with China, and possibility later with the Republic of
Korea, to combat international economic crime and cyber crime.

. Recognizing the nature of transnational crime that transcends national boundaries,

ASEAN will fight its menace not only on the national level, but also on bilateral and
multi-lateral levels. In this regard, ASEAN will continue to strengthen its cooperation
with its Dialogue Partners and international organizations in combating all forms of
international crime. Although, at the ASEAN regional level, significant progress has
been achieved through previous regional endeavors, there are still the needs for closer
coordination among various ASEAN bodies responsible for combating transnational
crime, for an effective regional mechanism to facilitate exchange of information and
intelligence-sharing among concerned law-enforcement agencies, and for the
development of concrete measures and action programs to implement ASEAN
cooperation with Dialogue Partners. On extra-regional cooperation, the ASEA-EU
Memorandum of Understanding on Transnational Crime still need to be substantiated
with concrete programmes, especially on counter-terrorism, maritime crime and illicit
drug trafficking.

I learned into regional security, ASEAN has established various mechanisms of

cooperation and adopted for implementation cooperation frameworks and action plans
in the respective sectors. However, the region still faces emerging challenges and
threats. To be able to stand tall against these threats to regional security, ASEAN
Member Countries need to maintain their sense of community such as that manifested
during the last tsunami episode. They need to exert leadership and commitment
through partnership with the global community and, as a group, need to ensure that
they get the priorities right. ASEAN also need to ensure that partnership with the
global community will be according to local regional characteristics and
needs. However, while it has to act regionally, ASEAN would need to think globally. To
move forward regional cooperation more effectively, ASEAN would take into
consideration the need to engage relevant partners from both within and outside
ASEAN to jointly implement activities of mutual interest.
Denmark Lee Calaoagan

International law.

International law is a system of treaties and agreements between nations that governs
how nations interact with other nations, citizens of other nations, and businesses of
other nations. International law typically falls into two different categories. "Private
international law" deals with controversies between private entities, such as people or
corporations, which have a significant relationship to more than one nation. For
example, lawsuits arising from the toxic gas leak in Bhopal, Indiafrom industrial
plants owned by Union Carbide, a U.S. corporation would be considered a matter of
private international law.

"Public international law" concerns the relationships between nations. These include
standards of international behavior, the laws of the sea, economic law, diplomatic law,
environmental law, human rights law, and humanitarian law. Some principles of
public international law are written, or "codified" in a series of treaties, but others are
not written down anywhere. These are known as "customary" laws, and nations
consent to them by doing nothing.

Since most international law is governed by treaties, it's usually up to the individual
nations to enforce the law. However, there are a few international organizations that
enforce certain treaties. The most notable example is the United Nations, which has
192 member states.

Among the greatest achievements of the United Nations is the development of a body
of international law, which is central to promoting economic and social development,
as well as to advancing international peace and security. The international law is
enshrined in conventions, treaties and standards. Many of the treaties brought about
by the United Nations form the basis of the law that governs relations among nations.
While the work of the UN in this area does not always receive attention, it has a daily
impact on the lives of people everywhere.

The Charter of the United Nations specifically calls on the Organization to help in the
settlement of international disputes by peaceful means, including arbitration and
judicial settlement (Article 33), and to encourage the progressive development of
international law and its codification (Article 13).

Over the years, more than 500 multilateral treaties have been deposited with the UN
Secretary-General. Many other treaties are deposited with governments or other
entities. The treaties cover a broad range of subject matters such as human rights,
disarmament and protection of the environment.
 General Assembly as a forum for adopting multilateral treaties

The General Assembly is composed of representatives from each UN Member State and
is the main deliberative body on matters relating to international law. Many
multilateral treaties are in fact adopted by the General Assembly and subsequently
opened for signature and ratification. The Legal (Sixth) Committee assists the work of
the General Assembly by providing advice on substantive legal matters. The
Committee is also made up of representatives from all UN Member States.

The General Assembly has adopted several multilateral treaties throughout its history,
including:

 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)

 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination (1965)
 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)
 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979)
 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982)
 Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (1996)
 International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (1999)
 International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005)
 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006)
 United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods
Wholly or Partly by Sea (2008)
 Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (2008)

In many areas, the legal work of the United Nations has been pioneering, addressing
problems as they take on an international dimension. The UN has been at the
forefront of efforts to provide a legal framework in such areas as protecting the
environment, regulating migrant labour, curbing drug trafficking and combating
terrorism. This work continues today, as international law assumes a more central
role across a wider spectrum of issues, including human rights law and international
humanitarian law.

I Learned in international law is provides a means for states to practice more stable,
consistent, and organized international relations. The sources of international law
include international custom (general state practice accepted as law), treaties, and
general principles of law recognized by most national legal system