The Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) has been working, through its International Working Group on Confidence and Security Building Measures (CSBMs) to develop a better understanding of preventive diplomacy (PD) as it relates to the Asia Pacific region in general and to the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in particular. This effort began at the fifth CSBM Working Group meeting in Singapore in October 1996 and has been most vigorously pursued since 1999 at three CSCAP Preventive Diplomacy (PD) Workshops held in conjunction with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). The PD Workshops were conducted either just prior to or immediately after ARF Inter-sessional Support Group (ISG) meetings on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs). ISG participants were invited and encouraged, in their private capacities, to attend the CSCAP Workshops.