ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the rationale for and the ways that the Japanese government has contributed to the facilitation of the intertwined ideas of peacebuilding, development, and human security at both the multilateral engagement and development assistance levels. In the post-Cold War era, the international assistance paradigm has shifted toward contributing to human development rather than satisfying the interests of the country providing the assistance. In these circumstances, the introduction of human security in the UN arena provided Japan with a niche opportunity to regain its status in the international community without the use of military force and with deference to the sovereignty of other countries and the collaboration with multiple stakeholders. On the development assistance front, human security was mainstreamed through interactions between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Japan International Cooperation Agency. Furthermore, at the sites where development assistance has been implemented, some new ideas and practices were applied. The on-site victim-centered approach and regional collaboration among concerned national and local parties in the field of trafficking in persons in Southeast Asia can be seen as one such practice at a regional level, while track-two mediation activities and the hybrid collaboration of the International Monitoring Team in Mindanao, the Philippines, can be considered human security practice at a national level.
