Description
East Asia has been dominated in theory and practice by state-centric policy considerations heavily influenced by the geopolitical contestation of great powers. This perspective is, however, threatened by the rise of non-traditional security (NTS) challenges, including COVID-19, climate change, and the humanitarian crisis of refugee and forced migration flows. All three are exacerbated by the pursuit of narrow self-interest (unilateralism) and an emphasis on state security among national policymakers. Yet these challenges can also represent avenues of opportunity for other actors such as middle powers and civil society organisations. The central research question addressed by this paper, therefore, is what role can and should be played by newly empowered or recognized actors in addressing NTS challenges? The focus is on a responsibility to disrupt established governance practices with innovative approaches.
Keywords: Non-traditional security, middle powers, disruptive innovation, international commissions, East Asia
