Established in 1993, The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) stated purpose of fostering constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and concern. The ARF also make significant contributions to confidence building and preventive diplomacy in the region, with the goal of evolving into a third stage officially tagged as “elaboration of approaches to conflict.”

             Since ARF was not a collective defense organization, nor is it based on collective security because ARF is a unique alternative security arrangement premised on multilateralism by providing a multilateral venue for the discussion of confidence building and preventive diplomacy. It seeks to “develop a more predictable constructive pattern of relations for the Asia-Pacific” through political and security cooperation.

          As the goal to maintain peace, it is one of ARF concern to fostering dialogue about remaining dispute. Over the last year, disputes in the South China Sea have dominated headlines, and they seem sure to continue to generate fresh national security issues. Already too, they have raised a variety legal questions that will inform the future course of both the conflict and the region.

          A small outcropping of sand occasionally breaks the vast expanse of the South China Sea. These islands are modest, even diminutive, but they form the core of a fierce territorial dispute among six primary claimants: Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. These claimants also clash over their rights and duties in the nearby waters as well as the seabed underneath.

          The disputes between China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei make it as a high-tension territorial claiming. The tension getting higher after China make such an attractive measure with done a land reclamation inside the disputes territories and named it Spratly Islands. It is directly created many reactive-measures coming from another countries since what china done is absolutely one-side decision. China once stated that the facilitation they’ve made on the islands is only for collective-security around the region. However, mostly countries still doesn’t recognize the legality of the reclamation and the disputes still remaining until now.

           In Makassar MUN 2016, committee of ARF will continue the discussion of South China Sea. With underlining several topics, such as:

1. Land reclamation and construction beneath South China Sea,

2. The deeper discussion upon the result of negotiations between China and ASEAN countries to set fixed mechanism to properly handle the issue. (The formulas already spread into three steps, which are stand the result of ARF latest meeting in Malaysia).

 

We eager to see your vast response toward the case and help to solve the dispute.

See you very soon in Makassar!