Regional integration and social change in the Asia Pacific: implications for human security and state responsibility

Regional integration is generally seen as having positive security outcomes with respect to traditional inter-state relations as well as economic growth. However, there are also negative social and economic effects, which the broader concept of human security is useful in focusing attention on. The main aim of the article is to highlight some of the negative human security outcomes produced by the dynamic processes that have underscored regionalization in the Asia-Pacific in recent years. A further aim is to question what this means in terms of state responsibility. Given that states are 'social protection providers' of last resort, this is an important issue. This function has been largely ignored in neoliberal agendas that have sought to promote market reforms while actively undermining the role and capacity of the state. The state has also had a bad press from other quarters, including the human rights/human security lobby. While agreeing with the general point of the refrain that 'human rights are not state rights', I suggest that those who might welcome a weakening of the state per se in the cause of human security should think twice.