Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Abbreviations
- Introduction to the Second Edition
- Ad Hoc Multilateralism
- A la Carte Multilateralism
- The “ASEAN Way”
- Balance of Power
- Bilateralism
- Coalition of the Willing
- Coercive Diplomacy
- Collective Defence
- Collective Security
- Common Security
- Comprehensive Security
- Concert of Powers
- Concerted Unilateralism
- Confidence-Building Measures
- Confidence- and Security-Building Measures
- Constructive Intervention
- Cooperative Security
- Engagement
- Flexible Consensus
- Human Security
- Humanitarian Intervention
- Middle Power
- Multilateralism
- Mutual Security
- New Security Approach
- Non-Traditional Security
- Open Regionalism
- Peaceful Rise
- Pre-emption and Preventive War
- Preventive Diplomacy
- Security Community
- Terrorism
- Track One
- Track One-and-a-Half
- Track Two
- Track Three
- Transparency
- Trust-Building Measures
- About the Authors
Concerted Unilateralism
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 October 2015
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Abbreviations
- Introduction to the Second Edition
- Ad Hoc Multilateralism
- A la Carte Multilateralism
- The “ASEAN Way”
- Balance of Power
- Bilateralism
- Coalition of the Willing
- Coercive Diplomacy
- Collective Defence
- Collective Security
- Common Security
- Comprehensive Security
- Concert of Powers
- Concerted Unilateralism
- Confidence-Building Measures
- Confidence- and Security-Building Measures
- Constructive Intervention
- Cooperative Security
- Engagement
- Flexible Consensus
- Human Security
- Humanitarian Intervention
- Middle Power
- Multilateralism
- Mutual Security
- New Security Approach
- Non-Traditional Security
- Open Regionalism
- Peaceful Rise
- Pre-emption and Preventive War
- Preventive Diplomacy
- Security Community
- Terrorism
- Track One
- Track One-and-a-Half
- Track Two
- Track Three
- Transparency
- Trust-Building Measures
- About the Authors
Summary
According to Yoichi Funabashi, the term concerted unilateral action (CUA) emerged from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) where he says it had the pejorative connotation of “big boys doing what they want to do”. Its meaning in the Asia-Pacific security discourse is quite different. The term was used extensively in discussions leading up to the 1994 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in Bogor and was formally introduced in APEC's Osaka Action Agenda in 1996. It has declined in use in recent years, but the concept continues to have influence within APEC.
Concerted unilateralism is a process whereby states gather together to identify specific common objectives, but subsequently take steps to pursue those goals unilaterally and voluntarily. This distinguishes it from other modes of economic liberalization such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT) which rely on concessions made through complex and legally binding multilateral negotiating processes. Japanese MITI official Hidehiro Konno has described CUA as “a new type of trade liberalization process … on a peer pressure basis”. One Chinese scholar has identified three separate elements to concerted unilateralism.
(1) Collective action [should be] formulated on the basis of unilateral action plans (i.e., unilateral action as the mainstay and collective action as a supplement). (2) Individual action plans should abide by common principles agreed to by member countries. Where possible, they will be concerted through a process of consultation and review. Hence, the action agenda will include a section setting out objectives and guidelines for both individual and collective actions across a wide range of issues. (3) [There must be] an appraisal and assessment mechanism. All individual plans must be comparable. During consultation, member countries can compare one another's action plans and revise and coordinate them so that each country moves in roughly the same direction in an even way.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Asia-Pacific Security Lexicon (Upated 2nd Edition) , pp. 83 - 86Publisher: ISEAS–Yusof Ishak InstitutePrint publication year: 2007