ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN)

 ASEAN is a political and economic union of 10 states in Southeast Asia.

 ESTABLISHMENT: on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by the Foreign ministers of five
original Member Countries, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and
Thailand. (SPIT MALAYSIA) formed ASEAN by the signing of the ASEAN
declaration also called the Bangkok Declaration by it’s founding members..
 ASEAN is a regional organization which was formed or established to promote
POLITICAL and SOCIAL stability amid rising tensions among the Asia Pacific’s post
colonial states.
 ASEAN member states include some of the fastest growing economies in the world.
 ASEAN continues to develop cooperative relations with its Dialogue Partners,
namely, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, the ROK, New
Zealand, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, and the United
Nations Development Programme
 The MOTO of ASEAN is
 Brunei Darussalam joined on 8 January 1984,
 Vietnam on 28 July 1995,
 Lao PDR (Laos)
 Myanmar on 23 July 1997,
 Cambodia on 30 April 1999.
 The ASEAN region has a population of about 500 million, a total area of 4.5 million
square kilometers, a combined gross domestic product of almost US$ 700 billion, and
a total trade of about US$ 850 billion.
 ASEAN has broadened its objectives beyond economic and social spheres, aiming
to emulate the European Union by establishing a shared security regime.
 It hosts diplomatic missions throughout the world, maintaining a global network of
relationships, and is considered by many to be a global powerhouse.

 ASEAN Plus Three Forum: began in 1997 with holding informal summit among the
leaders of ASEAN and China, Japan and ROK. Cooperation between the Southeast
and Northeast Asian countries has accelerated with the holding of an annual summit.
ASEAN Plus Three relations continue to expand and deepen in the areas of security
dialogue and cooperation, transnational crime, trade and investment, environment,
finance and monetary, agriculture and forestry, energy, tourism, health, labour, culture
and the arts,
OBJECTIVES
The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the Association are:
(1) to accelerate economic growth, social progress & cultural development in the region.
(2) To promote regional peace, prosperity and stability through abiding respect for
justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and
adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.
(3) To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common
interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative
fields.
(4) To collaborate more effectively for the greater utilisation of agriculture and
industries, the expansion of their trade, the improvement of transportation and
communications facilities and the raising of the living standards of peoples.
(5) Assisting member countries through training and research facilities in the educational,
administrative, technical, and professional domains.

(6) To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional
organisations.

The ASEAN Vision 2020, adopted by the ASEAN Leaders, where they agreed to a shared
vision of ASEAN which is outward looking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded
together in partnership in dynamic development and in a community of caring societies.
ASEAN shall by the year 2020 establish a peaceful and stable Southeast Asia where each
nation is
1. At peace with other countries in the region.
2. Causes of conflicts between ASEAN countries have been eliminated
3. Respect for justice and Rule of Law.
4. Strengthening of National and Regional resilience.
5. All territorial and other disputes will be resolved by peaceful means.

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
ASEAN Member Countries have adopted the following fundamental principles in their
relations with one another (TAC: treaty of amity &cooperation in SE Asia)
 mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and
national identity of all nations; ·
 The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference,
subversion or coercion;
 Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;
 Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner;
 Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and
 Effective cooperation among themselves.

ASEAN structure and function

 The Secretary-General of ASEAN, who has a five-year term, is mandated to initiate,

advise, coordinate, and implement ASEAN activities. The members of the professional
staff of the ASEAN Secretariat are appointed on the principle of open recruitment and
region-wide competition. ASEAN has several specialized bodies and arrangements
promoting inter-governmental cooperation in various fields including the following for
example - ASEAN Agricultural Development Planning Centre, ASEAN-EC Management
Centre, ASEAN Centre for Energy
ASEAN Leaders resolved that an ASEAN Community shall be established. ASEAN
community, provides a vision on peace and stability, a nuclear-free region, closer economic
integration, human development, sustainable development, cultural heritage, being a drug-
free region, environment among others. The vision also aimed to "see an outward-looking
ASEAN playing a pivotal role in the international fora, and advancing ASEAN's common
interests.
ASEAN Vision 2020 was formalized and made comprehensive through the Bali Concord II
in 2003. Three major pillars of a single ASEAN community were established: Political-
Security Community (APSC), Economic Community (AEC) and Socio-Cultural Community
(ASCC).
The ASEAN community would revise and renew its vision every ten years to provide a
framework for continuous development and further integration.

1. ASEAN POLITICAL Security Community,

2. ASEAN Economic Community and
3. ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

ASEAN POLITICAL SECURITY COMMUNITY

Through political dialogue and confidence building, to ensure no tension has escalated into
armed confrontation among ASEAN Member Countries since its establishment more than
three decades ago.
Aim:
o To ensure that countries in the region live at peace with one another and with the world in
a just, democratic and harmonious environment.
o To rely exclusively on peaceful processes in the settlement of intra-regional differences
and regard their security as fundamentally linked to one another and bound by
geographic location, common vision and objectives.

Features
 Political development; Prevention of conflict; Peaceful conflict resolution; Post-
conflict peace building.

 Political development- The APSC shall promote political development by adherence

to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, respect for and
promotion and protection of human rights , so as to ultimately create a Rules-based
Community of shared values and norms. In the shaping and sharing of norms,
ASEAN aims to achieve a standard of common adherence to norms of good conduct
among member states of the ASEAN Community;. It shall be a means by which
ASEAN Member States can pursue closer interaction and cooperation.

 Moreover, cooperation in political development will bring to maturity the political

elements and institutions in ASEAN, towards which the sense of inter-state solidarity
on political systems, culture and history will be better fostered.

 The APSC plays a pivotal role area of confidence building measures, preventive
diplomacy and pacific approaches to conflict resolution.

The strong foundation of ASEAN processes, principles, agreements, and structures, which
evolved over the years and are contained in the following major political agreements:
For Example
 ASEAN Declaration, Bangkok, 1967;
 Declaration of ASEAN Concord II, Bali, 2003.

 The APSC subscribes to a comprehensive approach to security, which

acknowledges the interwoven relationships of political, economic, social-
cultural and environmental dimensions of development. It promotes
renunciation of aggression and of the threat or use of force or other actions in
 any manner inconsistent with international law and reliance of peaceful
settlements of dispute.

 The APSC plays a pivotal role area of confidence building measures, preventive
diplomacy and pacific approaches to conflict resolution.
ASEAN Political-Security Community envisages the following three key characteristics:
1. A Rules-based Community of shared values and norms;
2. A Cohesive, Peaceful, Stable and Resilient Region with shared responsibility for
comprehensive security;
3. A Dynamic and Outward-looking Region in an increasingly integrated and
interdependent world.
At the same time, in the interest of preserving and enhancing peace and stability in the
region, the APSC seeks to strengthen the mutually beneficial relations between ASEAN and
its Dialogue Partners and friends. In doing so, it also maintains the centrality and proactive
role of ASEAN in a regional architecture that is open, transparent and inclusive

ARF:
Arf was established by ASEAN in 1994, in recognition of security interdependence in the
Asia-Pacific region,
Aim: to evolve in three broad stages, namely the promotion of confidence building,
development of preventive diplomacy and elaboration of approaches to conflicts.
The ARF is an effective consultative Asia-Pacific Forum for promoting open dialogue on
political and security cooperation in the region.
The objectives of the ASEAN Regional Forum are outlined in the First ARF Chairman’s
Statement (1994), namely:

1. to foster constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of

common interest and concern; and
2. to make significant contributions to efforts towards confidence-building and
preventive diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region.

ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY

Aims Economic integration measures as outlined in the ASEAN Vision 2020.
Its goal is to create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN economic region in
which there is a free flow of goods, services, Labour, investment and a freer flow of capital
between countries of this region and as a result ASEAN would rise globally as one market,
thus increasing its competitiveness and opportunities for development. [15, equitable
economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities.
It envisions ASEAN as a single market and production base, a highly competitive region,
with equitable economic development, and fully integrated into the global economy.
Aims to implement economic integration initiatives" to create a single market for member
states.
Its characteristics include
1. a single market and production base,
2. a highly competitive economic region,
3. a region of fair economic development,
4. a region fully integrated into the global economy.
5. Accelerate regional integration in the following priority sectors by 2010: air travel,
agro-based products, automotives, e-commerce, electronics, fisheries, healthcare,
rubber-based products, textiles and apparels, tourism, and wood-based products.
6. Facilitate movement of business persons, skilled labour and talents; and ·
7. Strengthen the institutional mechanisms of ASEAN, including the improvement of the
existing ASEAN Dispute Settlement Mechanism to ensure expeditious and legally
binding resolution of any economic disputes.

The areas of cooperation include recognition of professional qualifications, closer

consultation economic policies, enhanced infrastructure and communications connectivity,
integrating industries for regional sourcing, and strengthening private sector involvement
The ASEAN Economic Community shall establish ASEAN as a single market and
production base, turning the diversity that characterises the region into opportunities for
business complementation and making the ASEAN a more dynamic and stronger segment of
the global supply chain. (economic integration and competitiveness).

The vision of AEC includes :

1. A highly integrated and cohesive economy

2. Enhanced connectivity and sectoral cooperation

3. A resilient, inclusive, people-oriented and people-centred region

Economic cooperation between ASEAN countries can be ensured through THE
FOLLOWING AGREEMENTS

These agreements aim to:

 Facilitate the movement of goods, services, investments, capital, and skills

 Increase trade (goods and services) and investment among Member States

 Promote and expand regional production sharing and network

 Promote higher level of transparency and predictability

a) ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)

It is a trade bloc agreement of Association of Southeast Asian Nations supporting
local trade and manufacturing in all ASEAN countries, and facilitating economic
integration with regional and international allies.[2][3][4] It stands as one of the largest
and most important free trade areas (FTA) in the world.
Such agreements involve cooperation between at least ASEAN countries to eliminate
trade barriers, import quotas and tariffs, and to increase trade of goods and
services with each other.
This agreement aims to eliminate trade barriers on a wide range of products traded
within the region.
The objectives are

 Increase ASEAN's competitive edge as a production base in the world market

through the elimination, within ASEAN, of tariffs and non-tariff barriers; and
 Attract more foreign direct investment to ASEAN.

b) ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS)

This agreement aims to enhance cooperation to improve the efficiency,
competitiveness, supply of services and liberalize trade in services.

The sectors covered by this agreement includes telecommunication, tourism, maritime

transport , business and professional services.

c) ASEAN Investment Area (AIA);

ASEAN Economic Community provides a Roadmap for Financial and Monetary Integration
of ASEAN in four areas,
1. capital market development,
2. capital account liberalisation,
3. liberalisation of financial services
4. currency cooperation; ·

ASEAN SOCIO-CULTURAL COMMUNITY (ASC)

According to the goal set by ASEAN Vision 2020, ASC envisages a Southeast Asia bonded
together in partnership as a community of caring societies and founded on a common
regional identity.
The Community shall foster cooperation in social development aimed at raising the
standard of living of disadvantaged groups and the rural population, and shall seek the
active involvement of all sectors of society, in particular women, youth, and local
communities.
This community is involved in
1. Investment of more resources for basic and higher education, training, science and
technology development, job creation, and social protection.
2. Intensify cooperation in the area of public health, including in the prevention and
control of infectious and communicable diseases.
3. HRD: The development and enhancement of human resources is a key strategy for
employment generation, alleviating poverty and socio-economic disparities, and
ensuring economic growth with equity.
ASEAN Community that is people-centered and socially responsible with a view to
achieving solidarity and unity among the countries and people of ASEAN by forging a
common identity and building a caring and sharing society which is inclusive and
harmonious where the well-being, livelihood, and welfare of the people are enhanced".
Among its focus areas include human development, social welfare and protection, social
justice and rights, environmental sustainability, building the ASEAN identity, and
narrowing the development gap.

Example of the on-going activities of ASEAN in this area include the following: ·
1. ASEAN Work Programme for Social Welfare, Family, and Population; ·
2. ASEAN Work Programme on HIV/AIDS; ·
 3. ASEAN Work Programme on Community-Based Care for the Elderly; ·
4. ASEAN Occupational Safety and Health Network; ·
EXTERNAL RELATIONS
The ASEAN Vision 2020 affirmed an outward-looking ASEAN playing a pivotal role in the
international community and advancing ASEAN’s common interests.