ABSTRACT
This chapter offers some reflections on the importance of the functional approach in the specific context of the Track Two preventive diplomacy initiative “Managing Potential Conflicts in the South China Sea.” This will be an insider’s view. From the time the initiative gathered steam in October 1989 to the tenth workshop in 2000, I had the pleasure and privilege of working closely with Ambassador Hasjim Djalal in the organization of our meetings, including the setting of agendas, the selection of resource persons, and the compilation of meeting reports. I was also responsible for the financial support we received from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).1 It may be too soon to attempt a comprehensive assessment of the initiative. But I think much can be said about the process: what its aims were, how precisely it worked, why certain matters were addressed and others not.2 In so doing, I hope to justify the crucial importance of the functional approach.
