Cooperative Security in the Asia-Pacific: Canadian Track-two Initiatives, 1989–2005

Between 1989 and 2005, Canadian academics and officials initiated significant programs to promote security—both cooperative and human—in Asia. The distinctive features were Canadian leadership, resource commitments, and ambitions to advance inclusive “track-two” dialogue, broaden the scope of security discussions beyond conventional defence matters, and advance Canada's role in the region. This is a chronicle of two major Canadian initiatives, the advancement of cooperative security and the promotion of human security, which began with the North Pacific Cooperative Security Dialogue (NPCSD) and expanded into multiple projects across the Asia-Pacific region, with a special connection to Southeast Asia. This article highlights the evolving objectives, institutional forms, and outcomes in Asia and Canada, and analyzes their impact and relevance for contemporary Canadian positioning in today's very different and increasingly fraught “Indo-Pacific” setting. The co-authors were the lead academic organizers of the activities chronicled here.