Humanitarian diplomacy in ASEAN
| Author | Alistair DB Cook |
| DOI | 10.1177/20578911211019247 |
| Published date | 01 September 2021 |
| Date | 01 September 2021 |
| Subject Matter | Special issue articles |
Humanitarian diplomacy
in ASEAN
Alistair DB Cook
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University,
Singapore
Abstract
Progress on regional cooperation in Southeast Asia is often punctuated by decades rather than
years. The exposure of the wider Asia-Pacific to natural hazards renders it the world’s most
disaster prone. Since the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004, there have been three
significant broad trends that have shaped humanitarian diplomacy, namely ASEAN as a platform for
engagement, sectoral approaches and a diversifying multi-stakeholder environment creating a
multi-level regionalism in Southeast Asia. States and societies in Southeast Asia have demonstrated
a commitment to building humanitarian capacity which is often termed ‘nationally led, regionally
supported and international as necessary’ so that they can lead response to natural hazards. The
experience of natural hazards offers an important reference for humanitarian work in other areas,
notably health emergencies and conflict settings. However, the localization of the global huma-
nitarian system beyond the regional and national levels to local communities remains far from
certain, and progress made in this arena may yet come undone without sustained and substantive
political commitment from ASEAN member states.
Keywords
AHA Centre, ASEAN, conflict, disaster, humanitarian diplomacy, humanitarianism, natural hazards,
regional cooperation, Southeast Asia
Introduction
In 2016, the largest gathering of state and non-state actors in the field of humanitarian affairs was
convened in Istanbul, Turkey, at the World Humanitarian Summit. The outcome of the gathering
led to the publication of the UN Secretary-General’s ‘Agenda for Humanity’. Those present at the
gathering agreed that the global humanitarian system was failing those most in need, and
Corresponding author:
Alistair DB Cook, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Block S4, Level B3,
50 Nanyang Avenue 639798, Singapore.
Email: iscook@ntu.edu.sg
Asian Journal of Comparative Politics
ªThe Author(s) 2021
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/20578911211019247
journals.sagepub.com/home/acp
2021, Vol. 6(3) 188–201
Special issue article
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