The History Foundation will invite Judge Shunji Yanai of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to give a lecture on "Implications and Challenges for the Formation of an East Asian Community," on December 2 (Wednesday/12 p.m.) at the Foundation''s Grand Conference Room (11th floor).

In his lecture, of which copies were circulated prior to the event, Judge Shunji Yanai argued that the European Union is a supranational community to whom member countries transferred their respective sovereignties on certain issues.

On the other hand, while ASEAN‘s member countries are forming closer regional ties in areas like the removal or lowering of regional tariffs, import liberalization, and cooperation on investment, they have yet to transfer their sovereignties to the greater union or establish a common external tariff.

Judge Shunji Yanai argues that four prerequisites are needed to establish a true community. Firstly, the region''s countries must all be free and democratic. Secondly, there should not be a severe gap in size among the member countries. Thirdly, there should not be a severe gap in economic and social development among the member countries. Lastly, there should not be any religious or fundamental conflicts among the region''s countries.

When these are taken into consideration, it is clear it will be difficult to establish a community in Northeast Asia in the near future, but Judge Yanai argues that countries can begin with regional cooperation and, in the long run, work together to develop into a community.