A SSOCIATION OF S OUTHEAST A SIAN N ATIONS (ASEAN) By Radhika Narasimhan

W HAT IS IT ? An organization of countries in southeast Asia set up to promote cultural, economic and political development in the region. ASEAN Declaration – signed August 8 th, 1967 by 5 founding nations Also known as the “Bangkok Declaration” represents the its modus operandi of building on small steps, voluntary, and informal arrangements towards more binding and institutionalized agreements

W HAT IS IT ? Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – December 15 th, 2008 New legal framework/terms of agreement – Ex: more political commitment, new ASEAN bodies, more meetings, more roles for ministers, etc. providing legal status and institutional framework for ASEAN Comprised of three pillars – Political-Security Community, Economic Community, Socio- Cultural Community Form the “roadmap” for ASEAN Community overall

W HAT IS IT ? ASEAN Declaration, Bangkok, 8 August 1967; Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality Declaration, Kuala Lumpur, 27 November 1971; Declaration of ASEAN Concord, Bali, 24 February 1976; Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, Bali, 24 February 1976; ASEAN Declaration on the South China Sea, Manila, 22 July 1992; Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, Bangkok, 15 December 1997; ASEAN Vision 2020, Kuala Lumpur, 15 December 1997; Declaration on Joint Action to Counter Terrorism, 5 November 2001;

P URPOSE “to promote political and economic cooperation and regional stability” Motto is - "One Vision, One Identity, One Community". To accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter; To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields; To provide assistance to each other in training and research facilities in the educational/professional/technical/administrative spheres; To collaborate more effectively for the greater utilization of their agriculture and industries, the expansion of their trade, To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organisations with similar aims and purposes

ASEAN S TRUCTURE /C OMMUNITIES ASEAN Political-Security Community ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) overarching body that handles human rights cooperation with other ASEAN bodies, external partners and stakeholders ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) to foster constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and concern ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting, Defense Ministers Meeting, Law Ministers Meeting, etc.

ASEAN S TRUCTURE /C OMMUNITIES ASEAN Economic Community ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) lowering of intra-regional tariffs through the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) committed to eliminate tariffs on 60 percent of their products in the IL The United States, the European Union and Japan continued to be ASEAN’s largest export markets signed on 28 January 1992 in Singapore Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) and Narrowing the Development Gap (NDG) addressing various forms of disparities among and within Member States where pockets of underdevelopment exist Other bodies: ASEAN Ministers on Energy, ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry, ASEAN Finance Ministers Meeting, etc.

ASEAN S TRUCTURE /C OMMUNITIES ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community: ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture & Arts (AMCA) ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM) ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Environment (AMME) COP to AATHP (Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution) ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM) ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM) ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication (AMRDPE) ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology (AMMST) ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Women (AMMW)

W HO IS INVOLVED ? - M EMBERSHIP Currently 10 Member States: Brunei Darussalam Cambodia Indonesia Lao PDR Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Viet Nam 1 Observer – Papua New Guinea

W HO IS INVOLVED ? - L EADERSHIP According to Article 31 of the ASEAN Charter, the Chairmanship of ASEAN rotates annually, based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States. Chair for 2015 – Malyasia Chair of ASEAN is in charge of the following: ASEAN Summit and related summits ASEAN Coordinating Council three ASEAN Community Councils relevant ASEAN Sectoral Ministerial Bodies senior officials Committee of Permanent Representatives Also have ASEAN Secretariat to help relations between different bodies

A DVANTAGES OF M EMBERSHIP AFTA reduces trade barriers for some nations, increasing economic efficiency ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Area encourage the free flow of investment As of 2010, duties were eliminated on 99.2% of tariff lines for the ASEAN-6 Member States Unified front against enemies that have harassed weaker member states

D ISADVANTAGES OF M EMBERSHIP Inability to lower tax suffrage for LDC’s involved (Less Developed Countries) These include newer states not in the original membership Not enough funding to support the system – member states are on the lower end economically Too “soft” in their pursuit of human rights and democracy – entering makes no political difference Also too “soft” with their relations with other nations/international bodies – particularly China

I NTERNATIONAL I MPACT United States relations have been excellent with ASEAN since its inception Obama met for first time with all 10 leaders in 2009 Have had more rocky relations with China in recent years ASEAN-China Free Trade Area China pushing its borders everywhere – including over some ASEAN member states Dispute in South China Sea in 2014 Summer ASEAN criticizes for being too “soft,” not standing up to China because of its economic power

S OURCES "History." Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Association of Southeast Asian Nations, n.d. Web.. "Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. 24 Mar Teizzi, Shannon. "China and ASEAN: Moving Beyond the South China Sea." The Diplomat. The Diplomat, 13 Nov Web. 24 Mar