Regional and international cooperation in tackling transnational crime, terrorism and the problems of disrupted states

Abstract

Describes transnational terrorist groups in the Asia‐Pacific region. Outlines the general problems facing cooperation within the East Asia and Oceania region because of its huge size and diversity, and explores regional cooperation in dealing with these criminal and terrorist networks; the Australian government has taken a leading role in combating both, although it has incurred distrust because of its close alliance with the USA. Contends that in fact there has been real progress in regional cooperation, especially if it is considered that awareness of the concept of transnational crime and terrorism was alien to the region until the mid‐1990s; and further, the notion of intervening to assist a disrupted state would not have been countenanced a decade ago. Outlines two specific initiatives involving regional intervention in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.