Introduction

Regional arrangements are commanding greater attention in the maintenance of international peace and security in the post-Cold War era. And there are many attempts to broaden and strengthen existing arrangements in Europe, revitalize those in Latin America and Africa, and forge new ones in the Asia-Pacific. The need for regional organizations to assume greater responsibility in the maintenance of international peace and security was formally stated by the UN Secretary-General in a report prepared on UN peacekeeping in the post-Cold War era. He states:

"The Security Council has and will continue to have primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, but regional action as a matter of decentralization, delegation and cooperation with the United Nations could not only lighten the burden of the Council, but also contribute to a deeper sense of participation, consensus and democratization in international affairs.

Although regional arrangements are receiving greater attention, ultimately, their significance and place in the post-Cold War security will be determined by their comparative advantage in managing conflict vis-a-vis other actions, including the state, NGOs, and the United Nations as well as their effectiveness in promoting the security of participating states. With this in view, this research project seeks to investigate the following:

Topic 1 - The state of security regionalism: Past, present and Future

Topic 2 - The role of regional arrangements in conflict prevention

Topic 3 - The role of regional arrangements in conflict settlement and resolution

Topic 4 - The UN and regional organizations: Division of responsibilities and interaction

This functional approach will facilitate an in depth discussion of the past roles and lessons learned, and will be more helpful in drawing up recommendations for the future. Each paper will draw upon developments and experiences in all the major regions of the world.

Paper Writers

As the object of the exercise is to synthesize the findings of published works (and not to conduct basic research), senior scholars and officials who have done extensive work in these areas and/or with extensive UN experience have been invited to write papers. As of now the list is as follows:

Introduction and Conclusion: Muthiah Alagappa

Topic 1 - Professor Paul Taylor, London School of Economics (accepted)

Topic 2 - Professor William Zartman, SAIS, Johns Hopkins

Topic 3 - To be invited from Latin America or Africa

Topic 4 - Ambassador and Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore

Budget

It is requested that the proposed allocation of $20,000 be increased to $23,000. The reasons for the increase are as follows:

a. Research Assistance

In Honolulu it is difficult to hire a research assistant for less than $800 a month. Hence the allocation for this item should be increased to $4,000.

b. Travel and Communications

Again, given the location and distance of Honolulu from the other institutions, it is necessary to increase the allocation for this item to $3,000.

c. Commissioned Research

As it is planned to commission four papers, the allocation for this item should be increased to $6,000. This amount does not include the $1,000 per paper writer that is to be paid by the UNU upon revisions of papers and their acceptance for publication.

Disbursement

Honorarium for paper writers is to be paid directly to them by the UNU. The remaining amount is to be paid to me as research consultant to the UNU. I will hire a research assistant and pay for communications, etc.