Humanitarian diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific: Part I
| Author | Lina Gong,Alistair DB Cook |
| Published date | 01 September 2021 |
| Date | 01 September 2021 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/20578911211045668 |
| Subject Matter | Special issue articles |
Humanitarian diplomacy
in the Asia-Pacific: Part I
Alistair DB Cook
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang
Technological University, Singapore
Lina Gong
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang
Technological University, Singapore
The international humanitarian system is an important site of global governance with efforts by
many different actors to respond to the severe humanitarian challenges the world faces. These
actors generate political will and commitment to cooperate, as well as construct norms and prac-
tices in the conduct of humanitarian action. These umbrella terms are collectively known as
humanitarian diplomacy. The most recent high-profile example of humanitarian diplomacy
was on display at the World Humanitarian Summit convened in 2016. The event brought parti-
cipants from around the globe representing different countries and other actors in the humanitar-
ian space, which culminated in An Agenda for Humanity that provided direction for reform of the
global humanitarian system that is under strain with the increasingly complex humanitarian situa-
tions facing humanity today. Given the ramifications of humanitarian challenges for global gov-
ernance, the complex dynamics unfolding in the humanitarian system, and the utility of
humanitarian action for national foreign policy, humanitarian diplomacy deserves scholarly
attention.
The research on humanitarian diplomacy sits at the intersection of the literature on global gov-
ernance, humanitarian affairs, and foreign policy studies. Despite the long history of international
humanitarian action, however, the concept of humanitarian diplomacy is relatively new and remains
contested. The literature on humanitarian diplomacy remains limited, demonstrating its recent
appearance in global affairs. This special issue contributes to the conceptual development of
humanitarian diplomacy by providing perspectives from the Asia-Pacific region, which has been
a site of humanitarian diplomacy and home to important actors in the international humanitarian
system. It seeks to fill the gap regarding the dominance of Euro-centric perspectives on
Corresponding author:
Alistair DB Cook, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Programme, Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies,
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Block S4, Level B3, Nanyang Technological University,
639798, Singapore.
Email: iscook@ntu.edu.sg
Asian Journal of Comparative Politics
2021, Vol. 6(3) 183–187
© The Author(s) 2021
Article reuse guidelines:
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DOI: 10.1177/20578911211045668
journals.sagepub.com/home/acp
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