CSCAP Charter
(Editor's Note: The CSCAP Charter has been amended since this was published. In August 1995 all Member Committees approved amendments to Article IV and the introduction of a new Article).
Article I: The Name of the Organisation
The name of the organisation shall be the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific, henceforth to be referred to as CSCAP.
Article II: The Purpose and Functions of CSCAP
1. CSCAP is organised for the purpose of providing a structured process for regional confidence building and security cooperation among countries and territories in the Asia Pacific region.
2. The functions of CSCAP are as follows:
(a) to provide an informal mechanism by which political and security issues can be discussed by scholars, officials, and others in their private capacities;
(b) to encourage the participants of such individuals from countries and territories in the Asia Pacific on the basis of the principle of inclusiveness;
(c) to organise various working groups to address security issues and challenges facing the region;
(d) to provide policy recommendations to various intergovernmental bodies on political-security issues;
(e) to convene regional and international meetings and other cooperative activities for the purpose of discussing political-security issues;
(f) to establish linkages with institutions and organisations in other parts of the world to exchange information, insights and experiences in the area of regional political-security cooperation; and
(g) to produce and disseminate publications relevant to the other purposes of the organisation.
Article III: Membership
1. Membership in CSCAP is on an institutional basis and consists of Member Committees. Admission of new members into CSCAP shall require the unanimous agreement of the Steering Committee.
2. When evaluating an application for membership, consideration shall be given to whether or not the applicant:
(a) endorses the Kuala Lumpur Statement on the Establishment of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) of June 8, 1993;
(b) has cooperated with other CSCAP members on various projects related to regionalsecurity; and
(c) has established a broad-based Member Committee, with the capacity to participate actively in CSCAP.
3. (a) Applicants not fully meeting all the requirements for full membership may be
accepted as Candidate Members pending fulfilment of the requirements.
(b) Candidate members are eligible to participate in all CSCAP activities except for membership of the Steering Committee.
Article IV: Associate Membership
1. Associate membership may be granted to institutions in a country or territory not represented in the Steering Committee and which have demonstrated interest and involvement in the stated objectives and activities of CSCAP.
2. (a) Associate members may participate in CSCAP Working Group activities.
(b) Associate members may participate in the CSCAP General Meeting as observers.
Article V: Member Committees
1. A Member Committee shall be formed for each country or territory represented in CSCAP.
2. The Member Committee shall be broad-based, composed of non-governmental and government affiliated institutions in political-security studies and/or individuals (including officials) in their private capacities.
Article VI: The Steering Committee
1. The Steering Committee shall be the highest decision-making body of CSCAP.
2. The Steering Committee shall be comprised of one formally designated representative from each Member Committee.
3. (a) The Steering Committee normally shall be co-chaired by a member from an ASEAN
Member Committee and a member from a non-ASEAN Member Committee.
(b) The term of the Co-Chairs shall be two years.
4. The Steering Committee may establish Sub-committees on membership, finance, and working groups, and other Sub-committees as deemed necessary.
5. The Steering Committee shall meet at least twice a year.
6. (a) The quorum for the Steering Committee shall be at least three quarters (3/4) of the
total members.
(b) Except for questions of membership, decisions of the Steering Committee shall be made by at least eighty per cent (80%) of the quorum.
Article VII: The Secretariat
1. The Steering Committee shall be served by a Secretariat.
2. The Secretariat shall be provided by the Member Committee which will host the General Meeting for the coming year.
3. The Secretariat shall perform the following duties:
(a) serve as the communication/liaison centre between the Member Committees;
(b) assist in the organisation of the Steering Committee and General Meetings;
(c) publish materials as directed by the Steering Committee; and
(d) undertake all other responsibilities given by the Steering Committee.
4. The Secretariat shall be funded by the CSCAP Fund for the following purposes:
(a) administrative expenses;
(b) publication of the CSCAP Newsletter; and
(c) other necessary expenses approved by the Steering Committee.
Article VIII: Working Groups
1. The Steering Committee shall establish Working Groups to undertake policy-oriented studies on specific regional and sub-regional political-security problems.
2. The proposal to establish a Working Group shall come from a Member Committee or Committees that will also be responsible for the funding of the project.
3. Participation in the Working Group project shall be broad-based.
Article IX: General Meetings
1. CSCAP shall convene a General Meeting on a regular basis. The agenda, time and venue of the General Meeting shall be decided by the Steering Committee.
2. Each Member Committee shall bear the international travel and accommodation expenses of its participants while the host Member Committee shall bear all other local expenses.
Article X: Non-Member Participants in Working Groups
1. Organisations or individuals from member countries or territories with an interest in CSCAP activities may be invited through the Member Committees to participate in CSCAP Working Group activities.
2. Organisations or individuals from non-member countries or territories and international bodies may be invited to participate in working group activities by the Chair of the Working Group with the consent of the Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee.
Article XI: Observers and Guests at General Meetings
1. Associate Members shall be invited to participate at the General Meeting as observers.
(a) Individuals and organisations from non-member countries or territories may be invited to attend General Meetings as guests.
(b) Invitations to such individuals and organisations will be issued by the Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee and the Chair person of the host Member Committee.
3. Individuals and organisations attending CSCAP General Meetings as guests may speak at the meetings only upon invitation by the Steering Committee Co-Chairs.
Article XII: Funding
1. A CSCAP Fund shall be established with annual contributions from the Member Committees, Candidate members and Associate Members. Contributions shall be determined by a formula which will be agreed upon by the Steering Committee.
2. CSCAP shall seek other sources of funding.
3. A Sub-committee on Finance shall be established to propose and review the formula for annual contributions. The Sub-committee shall also manage the Fund.
4. The Steering Committee shall suspend a Member Committee from all CSCAP activities including membership in the Steering Committee if the Member Committee defaults on its annual contribution for two consecutive years.
Article XIII: The Amendment Process
Except for Article III (1) requiring unanimity of the Steering Committee, the CSCAP Charter may be amended by eighty per cent (80%) of the quorum of the Steering Committee provided that an intention to propose such amendment or amendments has been circulated by the Secretariat to all members of the Steering Committee sixty (60) days in advance of consideration.
Article XIV: Transitional Provisions
1. The founding Institutions of CSCAP are:
(a) Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Indonesia
(b) Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Thailand
(c) Institute for Strategic and Development Studies, the Philippines
(d) Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia
(e) Japan Institute of International Affairs, Japan
(f) Joint Centre for Asia Pacific Studies, Canada.
(g) Pacific Forum/CSIS, United States of America
(h) Seoul Forum for International Affairs, South Korea.
(i) Singapore Institute of International Affairs
(j) Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australia.
2. (a) In the formative phase, the designated representatives of the founding institutions
shall form the pro tem Steering Committee of CSCAP.
(b) The CSCAP Steering Committee, composed of the designated representatives from each of the ten (10) Founding Member Committees, shall be established in June 1994.
(c) The Steering Committee shall be co-chaired initially by Amos A. Jordan (Pacific Forum/CSIS, United States) and Jusuf Wanandi (CSIS, Indonesia) for terms of two and three years, respectively.
3. ISIS Malaysia will provide the Secretariat of CSCAP for the first two years.
4. The Asia Pacific region consists of the countries and territories of Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, South Pacific, Oceania, and North America.
Adopted in Lombok, Indonesia, 16 December 1993.