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CICP Working Paper No. 18: the Role of Government and Civil Society In CICP Working Paper No.18. i No. 18 The Role of Government and Civil Society in the Maintenance of Peace and Security Din Merican July 2007 With Compliments This Working Paper series presents papers in a preliminary form and serves to stimulate comment and discussion. The views expressed are entirely the author’s own and not that of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace Published with the funding support from The International Foundation for Arts and Culture, IFAC CICP Working Paper No.18. ii About Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) The CICP is an independent, neutral, and non-partisan research institute based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Institute promotes both domestic and regional dialogue between government officials, national and international organizations, scholars, and the private sector on issues of peace, democracy, civil society, security, foreign policy, conflict resolution, economics and national development. In this regard, the institute endeavors to: organize forums, lectures, local, regional and international workshops and conference on various development and international issues; design and conduct trainings to civil servants and general public to build capacity in various topics especially in economic development and international cooperation; participate and share ideas in domestic, regional and international forums, workshops and conferences; promote peace and cooperation among Cambodians, as well as between Cambodians and others through regional and international dialogues; and conduct surveys and researches on various topics including socio-economic development, security, strategic studies, international relation, defense management as well as disseminate the resulting research findings. Networking The Institute convenes workshops, seminars and colloquia on aspects of socio-economic development, international relations and security. So far CICP has published nearly a hundred books, papers and articles in various development issues and we have affiliated with many regional and global academic network including a regional association of similarly oriented think tanks known as the ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN- ISIS), Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP), East Asian Development Network (EADN) and Global Development Network (GDN). Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, CICP Pum Paung Peay, Sangkat Phnom Penh Thmey, Khan Russey Keo, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia P.O.Box 1007, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Phone: 85512 819953 Tel/Fax: 855 23 982559 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.cicp.org.kh CICP Working Paper No.18. iii Abstract: There is generally limited interaction between policy makers and those who think and study international politics in most of the universities and think tank institutions in developing countries including Cambodia. Arguably, the role of foreign policy specialists has diminished. As a result, governments, in particular foreign ministers, tend to neglect this important reservoir of knowledge that is in the hands of academia. The paper aims at analysing the different roles by stake holders in promotion of peace and security including the UN, the government and civil society as well. The paper concludes that a regional mechanism and network of think tanks are needed and stronger cooperation and dialogues in social and economic relations is required to promote regional and global welfare and prosperity. Without such mechanisms, regional states will be tempted to abdicate their responsibilities, thereby allowing external powers to intervene to safeguard their strategic interests. About the Author: Mr. Din Merican is Senior Research Fellow and Member of Advisory Board of Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, CICP, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He is a development economist and strategist. He is living in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. He can be contacted by email: [email protected] CICP Working Paper No.18. 1 The Role of Government and Civil Society in the Maintenance of Peace and Security Din Merican1 1. Introduction: Need for Network: Government- Academia Relations There is generally limited interaction between policy makers and those who think and study international politics in most of the universities in developing countries including Cambodia. Arguably, the role of foreign policy specialists has diminished. As a result, governments, in particular foreign ministers, tend to neglect this important reservoir of knowledge that is in the hands of universities. Academia and academics have the bloc of time to think about, and research into issues and concerns that confront us as peoples and analyse various options for the long term in the pursuit of peace and security. This dialogue between governments and academics including those in the think tanks is essential if we are to promote understanding and goodwill, which are fundamental in promoting cooperation for peace and security. 2. Civil Society: ASEAN-ISIS and CICP The role of civil society – Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), media, cultural groups—and the contributions they make today, more than ever, can be truly immense and 1 The author is Visiting Professor, University of Cambodia and Senior Research Fellow, The Cambodian Institute of Cooperation and Peace, Phnom Penh. He is also member of the International Advisory Board, Asia Economic Forum of the University of Cambodia. This paper was originally prepared for THE THIRD ASIA ECONOMIC FORUM, PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA, APRIL 2-5, 2007. The author would like to extent his gratitude for Dr. Chap Sotharith, Executive Director, CICP for editing and adding some inputs in this paper. CICP Working Paper No.18. 2 very positive. They have the power of ideas to transform society and politics at domestic, regional and global levels, especially in track 2 diplomacy.2 The challenge is how national leaders can tap the dynamism and experience of civil society to design and execute policies for the betterment of their peoples. Regrettably, civil society organizations are still being viewed with a great deal of suspicion and politicization. Indeed, it is increasingly clear that leaders in governments (politicians and bureaucrats) cannot solve myriads of problems on their own. Governments and civil societies have to work in concert to deal with global and regional affairs. In connection with the above, it may be worth noting that since its inception in 1994 and under the leadership of its then Executive Director, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace was able to participate constructively with the Cambodian Government in its efforts to seek entry as a full member of ASEAN, which became a reality in 1999. Since 1997, CICP is also an active member of the ASEAN Institute for International and Strategic Studies (ASEAN-ISIS), a regional network of national think tanks, which is an acknowledged leader of non-governmental or unofficial initiatives on ASEAN, global and regional security and political and socio-economic issues. ASEAN-ISIS and CICP have proved that it is possible to engage constructively in term of debates and policy analyses with the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia on regional issues, and other think tanks around the world on global affairs, and with the Cambodian Government on matters of national concern. This, of course, did not happen overnight. It was a time consuming and energy sapping undertaking requiring a lot of tact and patience, as mutual trust and confidence would have to be built up first. 2 Track II diplomacy refers to non-governmental channels for bridging diplomacy in peace settlement, peace negotiation and other intervention. Channels such as Academia, private sectors and so on are sometimes very powerful in diplomacy. CICP Working Paper No.18. 3 By “whispering in the ears of power,” civil society including think tank, NGOs and private sector have had some influence and participation in the process of thinking of both regional and national policies on national, regional and global comprehensive security.3 The Asian Economic Forum through its links with the University of Cambodia is another classic example of multi-layered cooperation and networking for peace and security. It does this by including the private sector and other role players. 3. United Nations Leadership in Global Affairs From the outset, I would like to state my support for the United Nations for its role in global affairs. Despite increasing pessimism coupled with a heightened sense of helplessness about multilateral institutions in global affairs, I remain convinced that leadership for global and regional affairs can only come from and through the United Nations. For small nation states like Cambodia, the UN is perhaps the only institution at the global level where our views can be articulated and effectively communicated and our interests are protected. At the regional level, we need to reinvigorate ASEAN so that our views and concerns on global peace and security can carry more weight than what is possible if we acted alone as individual states. Both the UN and ASEAN are indispensable to us if we are to meet the challenges of a unipolar world of geo-politics in the 21st century. The UN, which was created in the aftermath of the Second World War II, not only provides legitimacy, but also is an effective mechanism of international law and order. It is based on the principle of collective action for global peace and security. Today more than ever before we face
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