ASEANs governance and management of non-traditional security

The understanding of security in ASEAN follows a multi-facetted and multi-dimensional approach which perceives traditional and non-traditional security (NTS) as the two sides of the same coin - although at varied degrees of consciousness. NTS can be defined as all non-state challenges to the survival and well-being of the state and its people. The chapter discusses several case studies of ASEAN’s management and governance strategies in response to NTS challenges, including natural disasters, terrorism, piracy, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the haze problem. It is argued that the identification of, and elaboration on, NTS problems in declarations, agreements and new institutional arrangements is important even though ASEAN can hardly claim to have successfully implemented its strategies across the board. Discourse matters. Yet, the effectiveness of the respective response strategies differs greatly depending on the extent to which a specific agenda is perceived to infringe on national interests and sovereignty and ASEAN’s non-interference norm.