The Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) is a track-2 mechanism allowing scholars, officials, and other professionals in their private capacities to discuss a range of political and security issues and challenges facing the region. By convening regional and international meetings and establishing linkages with institutions and organizations in various parts of the world to exchange information, insights, and experiences in matters pertaining to regional security cooperation, CSCAP provides policy recommendations to various inter-governmental bodies, notably the ASEAN Regional Forum. CSCAP’s recommendations appear in the form of meeting minutes shared at the official level or as CSCAP memoranda. For more information about CSCAP, visit: www.cscap.org
As head of the USCSCAP, Pacific Forum co-leads with CSCAP Vietnam the CSCAP Nonproliferation and Disarmament (NPD) Study Group, which explores ways to strengthen nonproliferation cooperation in the region, the peaceful access and use of nuclear technology, and steps to advance disarmament. In addition, Pacific Forum runs a Nuclear Energy Experts Group (NEEG) in partnership with CSCAP Singapore. The NEEG, which sits under the umbrella of the NPD Study Group, zooms in on issues pertaining to nuclear energy, nuclear safety and security, and ways to improve cooperation on energy security writ large.
Pacific Forum also leads the Export Control Experts Group (XCXG). The CSCAP XCXG was created in 2005 as a subgroup of the CSCAP WMD Study Group to allow for more technical discussion on the implementation of STCs in Asia. Its stated goal is to assess national export control programs, identify vulnerabilities and shortcomings, and develop recommendations for improving both individual export control capacity and mutual cooperation.
Pacific Forum also spearheaded the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Study Group and, of late, Pacific Forum as USCSCAP helped to launch a new Study Group on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), with Indonesia and New Zealand as co-chairs. The WPS Study Group focuses on the advancement of the WPS agenda in the Asia Pacific, particularly within Southeast Asia. By demonstrating the value and utility of a gender perspective, this study group hopes to propagate application of a gendered lens throughout CSCAP studies, providing timely and relevant insights on longstanding policy and security issues.
