Press Releases
The ARF-ISG Meeting
1. On May 7-8, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Support Group (ISG) meeting on Confidence Building Measures and Preventive Diplomacy will be held in Tokyo.
2. The ARF-ISG is held twice a year in the spring and fall, with the participation of practioners from ARF member countries to discuss the specific activities of the ARF. This meeting is co-chaired by Japan and Malaysia for the inter-sessional year 2014-2015, and the previous meeting was held in Malaysia last October.
3. This forum is expected to enhance confidence-building among ARF members and strengthen collaboration for concrete cooperation of the region.
Reference 1 : ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Support Group Meeting on Confidence Building Measures and Preventive Diplomacy (ARF-ISG)
(1) ARF is a forum, first held in 1994, to enhance the security environment of the Asia-Pacific region through dialogue and cooperation on political and security issues.
(2) ARF is the oldest of the ASEAN-centered forums such as the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) and includes many members.
(3) ARF aims at gradual but steady evolution through a three-stage approach consisting of. (ⅰ) promotion of confidence building measures, (ⅱ) development of preventive diplomacy mechanisms, and (ⅲ) development of conflict-resolution mechanisms.
(4) ARF holds the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) and the inter-sessional meetings (disaster relief, maritime security, non-proliferation and disarmament, and counter-terrorism and transnational crime) focusing on the annual Ministerial Meeting. The ARF-ISG is one of these efforts and is held as a preparatory meeting for the ARF Ministerial Meeting and SOM.
Reference 2 : ARF Member Countries, etc. (26 countries and the EU including North Korea)
- ASEAN (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam)
- Non-ASEAN (Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, North Korea, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, the United States)
- The European Union