The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN; /ˈɑːsiɑːn/ AH-see-ahn, /ˈɑːziɑːn/ AH-zee-ahn) is

a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten countries in Southeast Asia, which promotes
intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational, and socio-
cultural integration among its members and other countries in Asia. It also regularly engages other countries in
the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. A major partner of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, ASEAN maintains
a global network of alliances and dialogue partners and is considered by many as a global powerhouse, the
central union for cooperation in Asia-Pacific, and a prominent and influential organization. It is involved in
numerous international affairs, and hosts diplomatic missions throughout the world.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations


Burmese: အရရှ ှေ့ရ ောင်အောရှနင
ို င
် မ
ံ ောျားအသင်ျား

Filipino: Samahan ng mga Bansa sa Timog Silangang Asya

Indonesian: Perhimpunan Bangsa-Bangsa Asia Tenggara

Khmer: សមាគមប្រជាជាតិអាសអា
៊ី គ្គេ យ៍

Lao: ສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສສ

Malay: Persatuan Negara-negara Asia Tenggara

Mandarin: 东南亚国家联盟

Tamil: தென்கிழக்காசிய நாடுகளின் கூட்டமைப் பு

Thai: สมาคมประชาชาติแห่งเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต ้

Vietnamese: Hiệp hội các quốc gia Đông Nam Á

Flag

Emblem
Motto: "One Vision, One Identity, One Community"
Anthem: "The ASEAN Way"

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 2Secretariat Jakarta
6°12′S 106°49′E
Working language English
Official languages 10 languages
of contracting states  Burmese
 Filipino
 Indonesian
 Khmer
 Lao
 Malay
 Mandarin
 Tamil
 Thai
 Vietnamese

Membership 10 states
 Brunei
 Cambodia
 Indonesia
 Laos
 Malaysia
 Myanmar
 Philippines
 Singapore
 Thailand
 Vietnam
2 observers
 Papua New Guinea
 Timor Leste
Leaders

• Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi

Establishment

• Bangkok Declaration 8 August 1967

• Charter 16 December 2008
Area
• Total 4,522,518 km2(1,746,154 sq mi)
Population
• 2018 estimate 651 million
• Density 144/km2(373.0/sq mi)
GDP (nominal) 2018 estimate
• Total US$3.0 trillion
• Per capita US$4,600
HDI (2017) 0.719 high
Time zone UTC+6:30 to +9(ASEAN)
Website
ASEAN.org

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History of ASEAN
Founding
ASEAN was preceded by an organisation formed on 31 July 1961 called the Association of Southeast
Asia (ASA), a group consisting of Thailand, the Philippines, and the Federation of Malaya. ASEAN itself was
created on 8 August 1967, when the foreign ministers of five countries: Indonesia, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, signed the ASEAN Declaration. As set out in the Declaration, the
aims and purposes of ASEAN are to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in
the region, to promote regional peace, collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest, to
provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities, to collaborate for better
utilisation of agriculture and industry to raise the living standards of the people, to promote Southeast Asian
studies and to maintain close, beneficial co-operation with existing international organisations with similar aims
and purposes
The creation of ASEAN was motivated by a common fear of communism. The group achieved greater
cohesion in the mid-1970s following a change in the balance of power after the end of the Vietnam War in
1975. The region's dynamic economic growth during the 1970s strengthened the organisation, enabling
ASEAN to adopt a unified response to Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia in 1979. ASEAN's first summit meeting,
held in Bali, Indonesia in 1976, resulted in an agreement on several industrial projects and the signing of
a Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, and a Declaration of Concord. The end of the Cold War between allowed
ASEAN countries to exercise greater political independence in the region, and in the 1990s ASEAN emerged
as a leading voice on regional trade and security issues.
Expansion
In 1984, Brunei became ASEAN's sixth member and on 28 July 1995, Vietnam joined as the seventh
member. Laos and Myanmar joined two years later on 23 July 1997. Cambodia was to join at the same time as
Laos and Burma, but an internal political struggle delayed its entry. It then joined on 30 April 1999 following the
stabilisation of its government.

Nascent Economic Cooperation

In 1990, Malaysia proposed the creation of an East Asia Economic Caucus[28] composed of the members of
ASEAN, China, Japan, and South Korea. It intended to counterbalance the growing US influence in Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Asia as a whole. However, the proposal failed because of strong
opposition from the US and Japan. Work for further integration continued, and the ASEAN Plus Three,
consisting of ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea, was created in 1997. In 1992, the Common Effective
Preferential Tariff (CEPT) scheme was adopted as a schedule for phasing out tariffs to increase the "region's
competitive advantage as a production base geared for the world market". This law would act as the
framework for the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), which is an agreement by member states concerning local
manufacturing in ASEAN. It was signed on 28 January 1992 in Singapore. After the 1997 Asian financial crisis,
a revival of the Malaysian proposal, known as the Chiang Mai Initiative, was put forward in Chiang Mai,
Thailand. It called for better integration of the economies of ASEAN as well as the ASEAN Plus Three.

Nuclear Free ASEAN

The bloc also focused on peace and stability in the region. On 15 December 1995, the Southeast Asian
Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treatywas signed to turn Southeast Asia into a nuclear-weapon-free zone. The
treaty took effect on 28 March 1997 after all but one of the member states had ratified it. It became fully
effective on 21 June 2001 after the Philippines ratified it, effectively banning all nuclear weapons in the region.

The ASEAN Charter

The Secretariat of ASEAN at Jalan Sisingamangaraja No.70A,

South Jakarta, Indonesia
On 15 December 2008, member states met in Jakarta to launch a
charter, signed in November 2007, to move closer to "an EU-style
community”. The charter turned ASEAN into a legal entity and aimed
to create a single free-trade area for the region encompassing 500
million people. President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
stated: "This is a momentous development when ASEAN is
consolidating, integrating, and transforming itself into a community. It
is achieved while ASEAN seeks a more vigorous role in Asian and global affairs at a time when the
international system is experiencing a seismic shift". Referring to climate change and economic upheaval, he
concluded: "Southeast Asia is no longer the bitterly divided, war-torn region it was in the 1960s and 1970s".
The financial crisis of 2007–2008 was seen as a threat to the charter's goals, and also set forth the idea of a
proposed human rights body to be discussed at a future summit in February 2009. This proposition caused
controversy, as the body would not have the power to impose sanctions or punish countries which violated
citizens' rights and would, therefore, be limited in effectiveness. The body was established later in 2009 as
the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights(AICHR). In November 2012, the commission
adopted the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration.
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The ASEAN Way
The "ASEAN Way" refers to a methodology or approach to solving issues that respects the cultural norms of
Southeast Asia. Masilamani and Peterson summarise it as "a working process or style that is informal and
personal. Policymakers constantly utilize compromise, consensus, and consultation in the informal decision-
making process... it above all prioritizes a consensus-based, non-conflictual way of addressing problems. Quiet
diplomacy allows ASEAN leaders to communicate without bringing the discussions into the public view.
Members avoid embarrassment that may lead to further conflict.” It has been said that the merits of the ASEAN
Way might "be usefully applied to global conflict management". However, critics have argued that such an
approach can be only applied to Asian countries, to specific cultural norms and understandings notably, due to
a difference in mindset and level of tension Critics object, claiming that the ASEAN Way's emphasis on
consultation, consensus, and non-interference forces the organisation to adopt only those policies which
satisfy the lowest common denominator. Decision-making by consensus requires members to see eye-to-eye
before ASEAN can move forward on an issue. Members may not have a common conception of the meaning
of the ASEAN Way. Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos emphasise non-interference while older member countries
focus on co-operation and co-ordination. These differences hinder efforts to find common solutions to particular
issues, but also make it difficult to determine when collective action is appropriate in a given situation.

The 16 member countries of the RCEP

Blue: ASEAN
Purple: ASEAN Plus Three
Teal: ASEAN Plus Six
ASEAN Plus Three was the first of attempts for further integration to
improve existing ties with China, Japan, and South Korea. This was
followed by the even larger East Asia Summit (EAS), which included
ASEAN Plus Three as well as India, Australia, and New Zealand. This
group acted as a prerequisite for the planned East Asia
Community which was supposedly patterned after the now-
defunct European Community. The ASEAN Eminent Persons Group was
created to study the possible successes and failures of this policy. In
2006, ASEAN was given observer status at the United Nations General Assembly. In response, the
organisation awarded the status of "dialogue partner" to the UN.
The group became ASEAN Plus Six with Australia, New Zealand and India, and stands as the linchpin of Asia
Pacific's economic, political, security, socio-cultural architecture, as well as the global economy. Codification of
the relations between these countries has seen progress through the development of the Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a proposed free-trade agreement involving the 16 countries of ASEAN
Plus Six. RCEP would, in part, allow the members to protect local sectors and give more time to comply with
the aim for developed country.

Structure
Beginning in 1997, heads of each member state adopted the ASEAN Vision 2020 during the group's 30th
anniversary meeting held in Kuala Lumpur. This vision, as a means for the realisation of a single ASEAN
community, provides provisions 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". It was formalised 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). To fully embody the
three pillars as part of the 2015 integration, blueprints for APSC and ASCC were subsequently adopted in
2009 in Cha-am, Thailand. The ASEAN Community, initially planned to commence by 2020, was accelerated
to begin by 31 December 2015. It was decided during the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu in 2007.
At the 23rd ASEAN Summit on November 2013, leaders decided to develop a post-2015 Vision and created
the High-Level Task Force (HLTF) that consists of ten high-level representatives from all member states. The
Vision was adopted at the 27th Summit on November 2015 in Kuala Lumpur. The ASEAN community would
revise and renew its vision every ten years to provide a framework for continuous development and further
integration. The terms in the Vision are divided into four subcategories, namely ASPC, AEC, ASCC, and
Moving Forward. ASPC issues are covered under articles 7 and 8. The former generally states the overall
aspiration of the community aiming for a united, inclusive and resilient community. It also puts human and
environmental security as crucial points. Deepening engagement with both internal and external parties are
also stressed to contribute to international peace, security and stability. The "Moving Forward" subcategory
implies the acknowledgement of weaknesses of the institution's capacity to process and coordinate ASEAN
work. Strengthening ASEAN Secretariat and other ASEAN organs and bodies is therefore desired. There is
also a call for a higher level of ASEAN institutional presence at the national, regional and international levels.

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AEC Blueprint

ASEAN leaders sign the declaration of the ASEAN Economic

Community during the 27th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, 2015
The AEC aims to "implement economic integration initiatives" to create
a single market for member states. The blueprint that serves as a
comprehensive guide for the establishment of the community was
adopted on 20 November 2007 at the 13th ASEAN Summit in
Singapore. Its characteristics include a single market and production base, a highly competitive economic
region, a region of fair economic development, and a region fully integrated into the global economy. The areas
of cooperation include human resources development, recognition of professional qualifications, closer
consultation economic policies, enhanced infrastructure and communications connectivity, integrating
industries for regional sourcing, and strengthening private sector involvement. Through the free movement of
skilled labour, goods, services and investment, ASEAN would rise globally as one market, thus increasing its
competitiveness and opportunities for development.

2020 ASEAN Banking Integration Framework

As trade is liberalised with the integration in 2015, the need arises for ASEAN banking institutions to
accommodate and expand their services to an intra-ASEAN market. Experts, however, have already forecast a
shaky economic transition, especially for smaller players in the banking and financial services industry. Two
separate reports by Standard & Poor's :S&P) outline the challenges that ASEAN financial institutions face as
they prepare for the 2020 banking integration. The reports point out that overcrowded banking sector in the
Philippines is expected to feel the most pressure as the integration welcomes tighter competition with bigger
and more established foreign banks. As a result, there needs to be a regional expansion by countries with a
small banking sector to lessen the impact of the post-integration environment. In a follow-up report, S&P
recently cited the Philippines for "shoring up its network bases and building up capital ahead of the banking
integration – playing defence and strengthening their domestic networks”.

Financial integration roadmap

The roadmap for financial integration is the latest regional initiative that aims to strengthen local self-help and
support mechanisms. The roadmap's implementation would contribute to the realisation of the AEC. Adoption
of a common currency, when conditions are ripe, could be the final stage of the AEC. The roadmap identifies
approaches and milestones in capital market development, capital account and financial services liberalisation,
and ASEAN currency cooperation. Capital market development entails promoting institutional capacity as well
as the facilitation of greater cross-border collaboration, linkages, and harmonisation between capital markets.
Orderly capital account liberalisation would be promoted with adequate safeguards against volatility and
systemic risks. To expedite the process of financial services liberalisation, ASEAN has agreed on a positive list
modality and adopted milestones to facilitate negotiations. Currency cooperation would involve the exploration
of possible currency arrangements, including an ASEAN currency payment system for trade in local goods to
reduce the demand for US dollars and to help promote stability of regional currencies, such as by settling intra-
ASEAN trade using regional currencies.
In regards to a common currency, ASEAN leaders agreed in November 1999 to create the establishment of
currency swaps and repurchase agreements as a credit line against future financial shocks. In May 2000,
ASEAN finance ministers agreed to plan for closer cooperation through the Chiang Mai Initiative (CMI). The
CMI has two components, an expanded ASEAN Swap Arrangement (ASA), and a network of bilateral swap
arrangements among the ASEAN Plus Three. The ASA preceded the 1997 Asian financial crisis and was
originally established by the monetary authorities of the five founding member states to help meet temporary
liquidity problems. The ASA now includes all ten member states with an expanded facility of US$1 billion. In
recognition of the economic interdependence of East Asia, which has combined foreign exchange reserves
amounting to about US$1 trillion, a network of bilateral swap arrangements and repurchase agreements
among the ASEAN Plus Three has been agreed upon. The supplementary facility aims to provide temporary
financing for member states with balance-of-payments difficulties. In 2009, 16 bilateral swap arrangements
(BSAs) were concluded with a combined amount of about US$35.5 billion. The CMI was signed on 9
December 2009 and took effect on 20 March 2014 while the amended version, the multilateralisation of CMI
(CMIM), was on 17 July 2014. The CMIM is a multilateral currency swap arrangement governed by a single
contractual agreement. In addition, an independent regional surveillance unit called the ASEAN+3
Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) was established to monitor and analyse economies and to support
the CMIM decision-making process. The amendments would allow access for the ASEAN Plus Three and
Hong Kong to an enhanced CMIM package, which includes, among others, the doubling of the fund size from
US$120 billion to US$240 billion, an increase in the level of access not linked to an IMF program from 20%–
30%, and the introduction of a crisis prevention facility. These amendments are expected to fortify CMIM as the
region's financial safety net in the event of any potential or actual liquidity difficulty.
During peacetime, the AMRO would conduct annual consultations with individual member economies and
prepare quarterly-consolidated reports on the macroeconomic assessment of the ASEAN+3 region and
individual member countries. In a time of crisis, the AMRO would prepare recommendations on any swap
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request based on macroeconomic analysis of a member state and monitor the use and impact of funds once
an application is approved. AMRO was officially incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in Singapore
on 20 April 2011. Governance of AMRO is being exercised by the Executive Committee (EC) and its
operational direction by the Advisory Panel (AP). AMRO is currently headed by Dr Yoichi Nemoto of Japan,
who is serving his second two-year term until 26 May 2016.

Food security
Member states recognise the importance of strengthening food security to maintain stability and prosperity in
the region. As ASEAN moves towards AEC and beyond, food security would be an integral part of the
community-building agenda. Strengthened food security is even more relevant in light of potentially severe
risks from climate change with agriculture and fisheries being the most affected industries.
Part of the aim of ASEAN integration is to achieve food security collectively via trade in rice and maize. Trade
facilitation measures and the harmonisation/equivalency of food regulation and control standards would reduce
the cost of trade in food products. While specialisation and revealed comparative and competitive indices point
to complementarities between trade patterns among the member states, intra-ASEAN trade in agriculture is
quite small, something that integration could address The MARKET project would provide flexible and demand-
driven support to the ASEAN Secretariat while bringing more private-sector and civil-society input into regional
agriculture policy dialogue. By building an environment that reduces barriers to trade, ASEAN trade would
increase, thereby decreasing the risk of food price crisis.
APSC Blueprint
During the 14th ASEAN Summit, the group adopted the APSC Blueprint. This document is aimed at creating a
robust political-security environment within ASEAN, with programs and activities outlined to establish the
APSC by 2016. It is based on the ASEAN Charter, the ASEAN Security Community Plan of Action, and the
Vientiane Action Program. The APSC aims to create a sense of responsibility toward comprehensive security
and a dynamic, outward-looking region in an increasingly integrated and interdependent world.
The ASEAN Defence Industry Collaboration (ADIC) was proposed at the 4th ASEAN Defence Ministers'
Meeting (ADMM) on 11 May 2010 in Hanoi. It has the purpose, among others, to reduce defence imports from
non-ASEAN countries by half and to further develop the defence industry in the region. It was formally adopted
on the next ADMM on 19 May 2011, in Jakarta, Indonesia. The main focus is to industrially and technologically
boost the security capability of ASEAN, consistent with the principles of flexibility and non-binding and
voluntary participation among the member states. The concept revolves around education and capability-
building programs to develop the skills and capabilities of the workforce, production of capital for defence
products, and the provision of numerous services to address the security needs of each member state. It also
aims to develop an intra-ASEAN defence trade. ADIC aims to establish a strong defence industry relying on
the local capabilities of each member state and limit annual procurement from external original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) Countries like the US, Germany, Russia, France, Italy, UK, China, South Korea, Israel,
and the Netherlands are among the major suppliers to ASEAN. ASEAN defence budget rose by 147% from
2004 to 2013 and is expected to rise further in the future. Factors affecting the increase include economic
growth, ageing equipment, and the plan to strengthen the establishment of the defence industry. ASEANAPOL
is also established to enhance cooperation on law enforcement and crime control among police forces of
member states.
However, the unequal level of capabilities among the member states in the defence industry and the lack of
established defence trade pose challenges. Before the adoption of the ADIC concept, the status of the defence
industry base in each of the member states was at a different level. Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and
Thailand are among the top member states with an established defence industry base, but they possess
different levels of capacity. The remaining member states have yet to develop and enhance their
capabilities. Indonesia and Singapore are among the most competitive players; the former is the only one
recognised as one of the top 100 global defence suppliers from between 2010 and 2013. ASEAN member
states purchase virtually no defence products from within ASEAN. Singapore purchases products from
Germany, France, and Israel. Malaysia purchased only 0.49% from ASEAN, Indonesia 0.1%, and Thailand
8.02%.
The ASEAN Convention on Counter-Terrorism (ACCT) serves as a framework for regional cooperation to
counter, prevent, and suppress terrorism and deepen counter-terrorism cooperation. It was signed by ASEAN
leaders in 2007. On 28 April 2011, Brunei ratified the convention and a month later, the convention came into
force. Malaysia became the tenth member state to ratify ACCT on 11 January 2013.
ASCC Blueprint
The ASCC was also adopted during the 14th ASEAN Summit. It envisions an "ASEAN Community that is
people-centred and socially responsible with a view to achieving enduring solidarity and unity among the
countries and peoples 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 peoples 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.
To track the progress of the AEC, a compliance tool called the AEC Scorecard was developed based on the
EU Internal Market Scorecard. It is the only one in effect and is expected to serve as an unbiased assessment
tool to measure the extent of integration and the economic health of the region. It is expected to provide
relevant information about regional priorities, and thus foster productive, inclusive, and sustainable growth. It
makes it possible to monitor the implementation of ASEAN agreements, and the achievement of milestones
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indicated in the AEC Strategic Schedule. The scorecard outlines specific actions that must be undertaken
collectively and individually to establish AEC by 2015. To date, two official scorecards have been published,
one in 2010, and the other in 2012. However, the scorecard is purely quantitative, as it only examines whether
a member state has performed the AEC task or not. The more "yes" answers, the higher the score.
While Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand have eliminated 99.65% of their
tariff lines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam have decreased tariffs on 98.86% of their lines to the 0-
5% tariff range in 2010, and are projected to eliminate tariffs on these goods by 2015, with the ability to do so
for a few import duty lines until 2018. A recent study by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited has projected that
five of the top fifteen manufacturing locations in the world will be in ASEAN by 2018. Furthermore, by 2050,
ASEAN is expected to be the fourth-largest economy in the world (after the European Union, the US, and
China).
The AEC envisions the free flow of overseas labour. However, receiving countries may require would-be
workers to take licensing examinations in those countries regardless of whether or not the worker has a
professional license from their home country. Singapore is a major destination for skilled migrants from other
ASEAN countries, mostly from Malaysia and the Philippines. Total employment there doubled between 1992
and 2008 from 1.5 million to three million, and the number of foreign workers almost tripled, from fewer than
400,000 to nearly 1.1 million. High-skilled foreign talents (customer service, nursing, engineering, IT) earn at
least several thousand US dollars a month and with a credential (usually a college degree) receive
employment passes. In recent years, Singapore has been slowly cutting down the number of foreign workers
to challenge companies to upgrade their hiring criteria and offer more jobs to local residents.
ASEAN members by
Human Development Index

Country HDI (2018)

Singapore 0.932 very high

Brunei 0.853 very high

Malaysia 0.802 very high

Thailand 0.755 high

ASEAN 0.719 high

Philippines 0.699 medium

Indonesia 0.694 medium

Vietnam 0.694 medium

Laos 0.601 medium

Cambodia 0.582 medium

Myanmar 0.578 medium

Narrowing the Development Gap (NDG) is the framework for addressing disparities among, and within,
member states where pockets of underdevelopment exist. Under NDG, ASEAN has continued to coordinate
closely with other sub-regional cooperation frameworks (e.g., BIMP-EAGA, IMT-GT, GMS, Mekong programs),
viewing them as "equal partners in the development of regional production and distribution networks" in the
AEC, and as a platform to "mainstream social development issues in developing and implementing projects" in
the context of the ASCC.
The six-year Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plans have been developed to assist Cambodia, Laos,
Myanmar, Vietnam, as well as other sub-regions to ensure quick growth. The First IAI Work Plan was
implemented from 2002 to 2008. The second plan (2009-2015) supports the goals of the ASEAN Community
and is composed of 182 prescribed actions, which includes studies, training programs, and policy
implementation support, conducted through projects supported by older ASEAN member states, and ASEAN's
Dialogue partners and external parties. The IAI Work Plan is patterned after and supports the key program
areas in the three ASEAN Community Blueprints: ASPC, AEC, and ASCC. The IAI Task Force, composed of
representatives of the Committee of Permanent Representatives and its working group from all member states,
is in charge of providing general advice and policy guidelines and directions in the design and implementation
of the plan. All member states are represented in the IAI Task Force, chaired by representatives of Cambodia,
Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam. The ASEAN Secretariat, in particular through the IAI and NDG Division, supports the
implementation and management of the IAI Work Plan and coordinates activities related to sub-regional
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frameworks. The division works closely with the Dialogue Partners, and international agencies, to develop
strategies and programs to assist in promoting and implementing IAI and NDG activities in ASEAN.
ASEAN's planned integration has challenged its citizens to embrace a regional identity. It delivers a challenge
to construct dynamic institutions and foster sufficient amount of social capital. The underlying assumption is
that the creation of a regional identity is of special interest to ASEAN and the intent of the 2020 Vision policy
document was to reassert the belief in a regional framework designed as an action plan related to human
development and civic empowerment. Accordingly, these assumptions will be the basis for recommendations
and strategies in developing a participatory regional identity.

Economy

Selection of GDP PPP data (top 10 countries and blocks) in

no particular order
The group sought economic integration by creating the AEC
by the end of 2015 that established a single market.[99] The
average economic growth of member states from 1989 to
2009 was between 3.8% and 7%. This was greater than the
average growth of APEC, which was 2.8%. The ASEAN Free
Trade Area (AFTA), established on 28 January 1992, includes
a Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) to promote the
free flow of goods between member states. ASEAN had only
six members when it was signed. The new member states
(Vietnam, Laos, Burma and Cambodia) have not fully met
AFTA's obligations, but are officially considered part of the
agreement as they were required to sign it upon entry into
ASEAN, and were given longer time frames to meet AFTA's
tariff reduction obligations. The next steps are to create a single market and production base, a competitive
economic region, a region of equitable economic development, and a region that is fully integrated into the
global economy. Since 2007, ASEAN countries have gradually lowered their import duties to member states,
with a target of zero import duties by 2016.
ASEAN countries have many economic zones (industrial parks, eco-industrial parks, special economic zones,
technology parks, and innovation districts). In 2018, eight of the ASEAN members are among the world's
outperforming economies, with positive long-term prospect for the region.

Internal market
By the end of 2015, ASEAN plans to establish a single market based upon the four freedoms. It will ensure
free flow of goods, services, skilled labour, and capital. Until the end of 2010, intra-ASEAN trade was still low
as trade involved mainly exports to countries outside the region, with the exception of Laos and Myanmar,
whose foreign trade was ASEAN-oriented. In 2009, realised foreign direct investment (FDI) was US$37.9
billion and increased two-fold in 2010 to US$75.8 billion. 22% of FDI came from the European Union, followed
by ASEAN countries (16%), and by Japan and the United States. The ASEAN Framework Agreement on
Trade in Services (AFAS) was adopted at the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok in December 1995. Under the
agreement, member states enter into successive rounds of negotiations to liberalise trade in services with the
aim of submitting increasingly higher levels of commitment. At present, ASEAN has concluded seven
packages of commitments under AFAS. Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) have been agreed upon by
ASEAN for eight professions: physicians, dentists, nurses, architects, engineers, accountants, surveyors, and
tourism professionals. Individuals in these professions will be free to work in any ASEAN states after the AEC
goes into effect on 31 December 2015. In addition, six member states (Malaysia, Vietnam (2
exchanges), Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore) has collaborated on integrating their stock
exchanges, which includes 70% of its transaction values with the goal to compete with international
exchanges.
Single market will also include the ASEAN Single Aviation Market (ASEAN-SAM), the region's aviation policy
geared towards the development of a unified and single aviation market in Southeast Asia. It was proposed by
the ASEAN Air Transport Working Group, supported by the ASEAN Senior Transport Officials Meeting, and
endorsed by the ASEAN Transport Ministers. It is expected to liberalise air travel between member states
allowing ASEAN airlines to benefit directly from the growth in air travel, and also free up tourism, trade,
investment, and service flows. Since 1 December 2008, restrictions on the third and fourth freedoms of the
air between capital cities of member states for air passenger services have been removed, while from 1
January 2009, full liberalisation of air freight services in the region took effect. On 1 January 2011, full
liberalisation on fifth freedom traffic rights between all capital cities took effect. This policy supersedes existing
unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral air services agreements among member states which are inconsistent with
its provisions.

Page 8 of 27
Monetary union
The concept of an Asian Currency Unit (ACU) started in the middle of the 1990s, prior to the 1997 Asian
financial crisis. It is a proposed basket of Asian currencies, similar to the European Currency Unit, which was
the precursor of the Euro. The Asian Development Bank is responsible for exploring the feasibility and
construction of the basket. Since the ACU is being considered to be a precursor to a common currency, it has
a dynamic outlook of the region. The overall goal of a common currency is to contribute to the financial stability
of a regional economy, including price stability. It means lower cost of cross-border business through the
elimination of currency risk. Greater flows of intra-trade would put pressure on prices, resulting in cheaper
goods and services. Individuals benefit not only from the lowering of prices, they save by not having to change
money when travelling, by being able to compare prices more readily, and by the reduced cost of transferring
money across borders.
However, there are conditions for a common currency: the intensity of intra-regional trade and the convergence
of macroeconomic conditions. Substantial intra-ASEAN trade (which is growing, partly as a result of the
ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and the ASEAN Economic Community.) and economic integration is an
incentive for a monetary union. Member states currently trade more with other countries (80%) than among
themselves (20%). Therefore, their economies are more concerned about currency stability against major
international currencies, like the US dollar. On macroeconomic conditions, member states have different levels
of economic development, capacity, and priorities that translate into different levels of interest and readiness.
Monetary integration, however, implies less control over national monetary and fiscal policy to stimulate the
economy. Therefore, greater convergence in macroeconomic conditions is being enacted to improve
conditions and confidence in a common currency. Other concerns include weaknesses in the financial sectors,
inadequacy of regional-level resource pooling mechanisms and institutions required to form and manage a
currency union, and lack of political preconditions for monetary co-operation and a common currency.
Free trade
Free trade initiatives in ASEAN are spearheaded by the implementation of the ASEAN Trade in Goods
Agreement (ATIGA) and the Agreement on Customs. These agreements are supported by several sector
bodies to plan and to execute free trade measures, guided by the provisions and the requirements of ATIGA
and the Agreement on Customs. They form a backbone for achieving targets of the AEC Blueprint and
establishing the ASEAN Economic Community by the end of 2015. On 26 August 2007, ASEAN stated its aims
of completing free trade agreements (FTA) with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand
by 2013, which is in line with the start of the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015. In November 2007,
ASEAN states signed the ASEAN Charter, a constitution governing relations among member states and
establishing the group itself as an international legal entity. During the same year, the Cebu Declaration on
East Asian Energy Security was signed by ASEAN and the other members of the EAS (Australia, China, India,
Japan, New Zealand, South Korea), which pursues energy security by finding energy
alternatives to conventional fuels.
On 27 February 2009, an FTA with Australia and New Zealand was signed. It is believed that this FTA would
boost combined GDP across the 12 countries by more than US$48 billion over the period between 2000 and
2020. Bilateral trade with India crossed the US$70 billion target in 2012 (target was to reach the level only by
2015). The agreement with China created the ASEAN–China Free Trade Area (ACFTA), which went into full
effect on 1 January 2010. In addition, ASEAN is currently negotiating an FTA with the European Union. Taiwan
has also expressed interest in an agreement with ASEAN but needs to overcome diplomatic objections from
China. ASEAN, together with its six major trading partners (Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South
Korea), began the first round of negotiations on 26–28 February 2013, in Bali, Indonesia on the establishment
of the RCEP, which is an extension of ASEAN Plus Three and Six that covers 45% of the world's population
and about a third of the world's total GDP.
In 2019, Reuters highlighted the circuitous route that ships from the United States must take to avoid the up to
70% tariff on ethanol produced in the United States unless it is mixed with at least 40% Asian-produced fuel.

Tourism
With the institutionalisation of visa-free travel between ASEAN member states, intra-ASEAN travel has
boomed. In 2010, 47% or 34 million out of 73 million tourists in ASEAN member-states were from other
ASEAN countries. Cooperation in tourism was formalised in 1976, following the formation of the Sub-
Committee on Tourism (SCOT) under the ASEAN Committee on Trade and Tourism. The 1st ASEAN Tourism
Forum was held on 18–26 October 1981 in Kuala Lumpur. In 1986, ASEAN Promotional Chapters for Tourism
(APCT) were established in Hong Kong, West Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia/New Zealand, Japan,
and North America.
Tourism has been one of the key growth sectors in ASEAN and has proven resilient amid global economic
challenges. The wide array of tourist attractions across the region drew 109 million tourists to ASEAN in 2015,
up by 34% compared to 81 million tourists in 2011. As of 2012, tourism was estimated to account for 4.6% of
ASEAN GDP—10.9% when taking into account all indirect contributions. It directly employed 9.3 million
people, or 3.2% of total employment, and indirectly supported some 25 million jobs. In addition, the sector
accounted for an estimated 8% of total capital investment in the region. In January 2012, ASEAN tourism
ministers called for the development of a marketing strategy. The strategy represents the consensus of ASEAN
National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) on marketing directions for ASEAN moving forward to 2015. In the
2013 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) report, Singapore placed 1st, Malaysia placed 8th,
Page 9 of 27
Thailand placed 9th, Indonesia placed 12th, Brunei placed 13th, Vietnam placed 16th, Philippines placed 17th,
and Cambodia placed 20th as the top destinations of travellers in the Asia Pacific region.
1981 The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) was established. It is a regional meeting of NGOs, Ministers, sellers,
buyers and journalists to promote the ASEAN countries as a single one tourist destination. The annual event
2019 in Ha Long marks the 38th anniversary and involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 member
states of ASEAN: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. It was organized by TTG Events from Singapore.


ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 - Traditional Vietnam woman cloth parade


ASEAN Tourism Awards 2019 - Gzhel costumes Vietnam style


Nguyễn Ngọc Thiện, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam at the ASEAN Tourism Awards 2019
in Ha Long Bay


Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Orga Team for AFT 2019 at the TRAVEX Lunch


Children from Thai Hai Reserve Area of Ecological Houses-on-stilts Ethnic Village at the ASEAN Tourism
Forum 2019 in Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam; organised by TTG Events, Singapore


Closing Ceremony of Visit Vietnam Year 2018 & Gala Celebrating the Success of ATF 2019

Page 10 of 27
 

Closing Ceremony of Visit Vietnam Year 2018 & Gala Celebrating the Success of ATF 2019

Foreign relations

Royal Thai Embassy, Helsinki, flying its own national flag as well as ASEAN's
flag

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte poses for a photo with the ASEAN foreign ministers during the 50th
anniversary of the group's foundation on 8 August 2017.
ASEAN maintains a global network of alliances, dialogue partners and diplomatic missions, and is involved in
numerous international affairs. The organisation maintains good relationships on an international scale,
particularly towards Asia-Pacific nations, and upholds itself as a neutral party in politics. It holds ASEAN
Summits, where heads of government of each member states meet to discuss and resolve regional issues, as
well as to conduct other meetings with countries outside the bloc to promote external relations and deal with
international affairs. The first summit was held in Bali in 1976. The third summit was in Manila in 1987, and
during this meeting, it was decided that the leaders would meet every five years. The fourth meeting was held
in Singapore in 1992 where the leaders decided to meet more frequently, every three years. In 2001, it was
decided that the organisation will meet annually to address urgent issues affecting the region. In December
2008, the ASEAN Charter came into force and with it, the ASEAN Summit will be held twice a year. The formal
summit meets for three days, and usually includes internal organisation meeting, a conference with foreign
ministers of the ASEAN Regional Forum, an ASEAN Plus Three meeting and ASEAN-CER, a meeting of
member states with Australia and New Zealand.
ASEAN is a major partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, developing cooperation model with the
organisation in the field of security, economy, finance, tourism, culture, environmental protection, development
and sustainability. Additionally, the grouping has been closely aligned with China, cooperating across
numerous areas, including economy, security, education, culture, technology, agriculture, human resource,
society, development, investment, energy, transport, public health, tourism, media, environment, and
sustainability. It is also the linchpin in the foreign policy of Australia and New Zealand, with the three sides
being integrated into an essential alliance.
ASEAN also participates in the East Asia Summit (EAS), a pan-Asian forum held annually by the leaders of
eighteen countries in the East Asian region, with ASEAN in a leadership position. Initially, membership
included all member states of ASEAN plus China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand, but
was expanded to include the United States and Russia at the Sixth EAS in 2011. The first summit was held
in Kuala Lumpur on 14 December 2005, and subsequent meetings have been held after the annual ASEAN
Leaders' Meeting. The summit has discussed issues including trade, energy, and security and the summit has
a role in regional community building.
Other meetings include the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting that focus mostly on specific topics, such as defence or
the environment, and are attended by ministers. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which met for the first
time in 1994, fosters dialogue and consultation, and to promote confidence-building and preventive diplomacy
in the region. As of July 2007, it consists of twenty-seven participants that include all ASEAN member states,
Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, the EU, India, Japan, North and South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand,
Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, East Timor, the United States, and Sri Lanka. Taiwan has been
excluded since the establishment of the ARF, and issues regarding the Taiwan Strait are neither discussed at
ARF meetings nor stated in the ARF Chairman's Statements.
ASEAN also holds meetings with Europe during the Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM), an informal dialogue
process initiated in 1996 with the intention of strengthening co-operation between the countries of Europe and
Asia, especially members of the European Union and ASEAN in particular.[161] ASEAN, represented by its
secretariat, is one of the forty-five ASEM partners. It also appoints a representative to sit on the governing
board of Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), a socio-cultural organisation associated with the meeting. Annual
bilateral meetings between ASEAN and India, Russia and the United States are also held.
Page 11 of 27
Environment

Haze over Borneo, 2006

At the turn of the 21st century, ASEAN began to discuss environmental
agreements. These included the signing of the ASEAN Agreement on
Transboundary Haze Pollution in 2002 as an attempt to control haze
pollution in Southeast Asia, arguably the region's most high-profile
environmental issue. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful due to the
outbreaks of haze in 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013, and 2015. As of 2015,
thirteen years after signing the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary
Haze Pollution, the situation with respect to the long term issue of Southeast Asian haze has not been
changed for 50% of the ASEAN member states, and still remains as a crisis every two years during summer
and fall.
Trash dumping from foreign countries (such as Japan and Canada) to ASEAN has yet to be discussed and
resolved. Important issues include deforestation (with Indonesia recorded the largest loss of forest in the
region, more than other member states combined in the 2001-2013 period), plastic waste dumping (5 member
states were among the top 10 out of 192 countries based on 2010 data, with Indonesia ranked as second
worst polutter), threatened mammal species (Indonesia ranked the worst in the region with 184 species under
threat), threatened fish species (Indonesia ranked the worst in the region), threatened (higher) plant species
(Malaysia ranked the worst in the region)

Education
While high performing Asian economies and the 6 oldest ASEAN member states have invested heavily
in public education at the primary and secondary levels, tertiary education has been left largely to the private
sector. Tertiary education in Southeast Asia is, in general, relatively weak in terms of technological capacity
and integration such as in credit transfer schemes. Singapore and Malaysia is highly focused on innovation
while the rest of the region lags behind. In most cases, universities are focused on teaching and service to
government rather than academic research. Universities, both in terms of academic salaries and research
infrastructure (libraries, laboratories), tend to be poorly supported financially. Moreover, regional academic
journals cater to their local audiences and respond less to international standards which makes universal or
regional benchmarking difficult. Governments have a vested interest in investing in education and other
aspects of human capital infrastructure, especially rapidly developing countries in the region. In the short run,
investment spending directly supports aggregate demand and growth. In the longer term, investments in
physical infrastructure, productivity enhancements, and provision of education and health services determine
the potential for growth.
To enhance regional co-operation in education, ASEAN education ministers have agreed four priorities for
education, promoting ASEAN awareness among ASEAN citizens, particularly youth, strengthening ASEAN
identity through education, building ASEAN human resources in the field of education strengthening
the ASEAN University Network. At the 11th ASEAN Summit in December 2005, leaders set new direction for
regional education collaboration when they welcomed the decision of the ASEAN education ministers to
convene meetings on a regular basis. The annual ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting oversees co-operation
efforts on education at the ministerial level. With regard to implementation, programs, and activities are carried
out by the ASEAN Senior Officials on Education (SOM-ED). SOM-ED also manages co-operation on higher
education through the ASEAN University Network (AUN). It is a consortium of Southeast Asian tertiary
institutions of which 30 currently belong as participating universities. Founded in November 1995 by 11
universities, the AUN was established to: promote co-operation among ASEAN scholars, academics, and
scientists, develop academic and professional human resources, promote information dissemination among
the ASEAN academic community, enhance awareness of a regional identity and the sense of "ASEAN-ness"
among member states.
The Southeast Asia Engineering Education Development Network (SEED-Net) Project was established as an
autonomous sub-network of AUN in April 2001. It is aimed at promoting human resource development in
engineering. The network consists of 26 member institutions selected by higher education ministries of each
ASEAN member state, and 11 supporting Japanese universities selected by the Japanese government. This
network is mainly supported by the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) and partially supported by the ASEAN Foundation. SEED-Net activities are implemented by the
SEED-Net secretariat with the support of the JICA Project for SEED-Net now based at Chulalongkorn
University.
ASEAN has a scholarship program offered by Singapore to the 9 other member states for secondary school,
junior college, and university education. It covers accommodation, food, medical benefits and accident
insurance, school fees, and examination fees. Its recipients, who then perform well on the GCE Advanced
Level Examination, may apply for ASEAN undergraduate scholarships, which are tailored specifically to
undergraduate institutions in Singapore and other ASEAN member countries. Singapore has used this
program effectively to attract many of the best students from the ASEAN region over the past several years,
Page 12 of 27
and scholars for the most part tend to remain in Singapore to pursue undergraduate studies through the
ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship program.

Culture
The organisation hosts cultural activities in an attempt to further integrate the region. These include sports and
educational activities as well as writing awards. Examples of these include the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity,
ASEAN Heritage Parks and the ASEAN Outstanding Scientist and Technologist Award. In addition, the
ASEAN region has been recognized as one of the world's most diverse region ethnically, religiously and
linguistically.

Media
Member states have promoted co-operation in information to help build an ASEAN identity. One of the main
bodies in ASEAN co-operation in information is the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information (COCI).
Established in 1978, its mission is to promote effective co-operation in the fields of information, as well as
culture, through its various projects and activities. It includes representatives from national institutions like the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministries of Culture and Information, national radio and television networks,
museums, archives and libraries, among others. Together, they meet once a year to formulate and agree on
projects to fulfil their mission. On 14 November 2014, foreign ministers of member states launched the ASEAN
Communication Master Plan (ACPM). It provides a framework for communicating the character, structure, and
overall vision of ASEAN and the ASEAN community to key audiences within the region and globally. The plan
seeks to demonstrate the relevance and benefits of the ASEAN through fact-based and compelling
communications, recognising that the ASEAN community is unique and different from other country integration
models.
ASEAN Media Cooperation (AMC) sets digital television standards and policies in preparation for broadcasters
to transition from analogue to digital broadcasting. This collaboration was conceptualised during the 11th
ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) Conference in Malaysia on 1 March 2012 where a
consensus declared that both new and traditional media were keys to connecting ASEAN peoples and bridging
cultural gaps in the region. Several key initiatives under the AMC include:
 The ASEAN Media Portal was launched 16 November 2007. The portal aims to provide a one-stop site
that contains documentaries, games, music videos, and multimedia clips on the culture, arts, and
heritage of the ASEAN countries to showcase ASEAN culture and the capabilities of its media industry.
 The ASEAN NewsMaker Project, an initiative launched in 2009, trains students and teachers to
produce informational video clips about their countries. The project was initiated by Singapore.
Students trained in NewsMaker software, video production, together with developing narrative
storytelling skills. Dr Soeung Rathchavy, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Socio-
Cultural Community noted that: "Raising ASEAN awareness amongst the youth is part and parcel of
our efforts to build the ASEAN Community by 2015. Using ICT and the media, our youths in the region
will get to know ASEAN better, deepening their understanding and appreciation of the cultures, social
traditions and values in ASEAN."
 The ASEAN Digital Broadcasting Meeting, is an annual forum for ASEAN members to set digital
television (DTV) standards and policies, and to discuss progress in the implementation of the blueprint
from analogue to digital TV broadcasting by 2020. During the 11th ASEAN Digital Broadcasting
Meeting members updated the status on DTV implementation and agreed to inform ASEAN members
on the Guidelines for ASEAN Digital Switchover. An issue was raised around the availability and
affordability of set-top boxes (STB), thus ASEAN members were asked to make policies to determine
funding for STBs, methods of allocation, subsidies and rebates, and other methods for the allocation of
STBs. It was also agreed in the meeting to form a task force to develop STB specifications for DVB-
T2 to ensure efficiency.
 The ASEAN Post was launched on 8 August 2017 to commemorate ASEAN's 50th Anniversary. It is an
independent regional digital media company that is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The
focus of the company is to leverage-off new technologies and future proof the media landscape. It was
founded by former investment banker Rohan Ramakrishnan.

Music
Music plays a significant role in ASEAN affairs, as evidenced by the new music composed for, and to be
performed at, the 34th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok in June 2019.
Since ASEAN's founding, a number of songs have been written for the regional alliance:

 "The ASEAN Way", the official regional anthem of ASEAN. Music by Kittikhun Sodprasert and Sampow
Triudom; lyrics by Payom Valaiphatchra.
 "ASEAN Song of Unity" or "ASEAN Hymn". Music by Ryan Cayabyab.
 "Let Us Move Ahead", an ASEAN song. Composed by Candra Darusman.
 "ASEAN Rise", ASEAN's 40th anniversary song. Music by Dick Lee; lyrics by Stefanie Sun.
 "ASEAN Spirit", ASEAN's 50th anniversary song. Composed by Chino Toledo. Lyrics by National Artist
for Literature, Rio Alma. Performed by Christian Bautista; video directed by Joaquin Pedro Valdes.
Page 13 of 27
Sports
 Southeast Asian Games
 ASEAN University Games
 ASEAN School Games
 ASEAN Para Games
 ASEAN Football Championship
 SEABA Championship

Global influence and reception

ASEAN has been credited by many as among the world's most influential organisations and a global
powerhouse. The organisation plays a prominent role in regional and international diplomacy, politics, security,
economy and trade. The ASEAN Free Trade Area also stands as one of the largest and most important free
trade areas in the world, and together with its network of dialogue partners, drove some of the world's largest
multilateral forums and blocs, including APEC, EAS and RCEP. Being one of the world's forefront political,
economic and security meetings, the ASEAN Summit serves as a prominent regional (Asia) and international
(worldwide) conference, with world leaders attending its related summits and meetings to discuss about
various problems and global issues, strengthening cooperation, and making decisions.
Critics have charged that ASEAN is too soft in its approach to promoting human rights and democracy,
particularly in junta-led Burma. Some scholars think that non-interference has hindered ASEAN efforts to
handle the Burma issue, human rights abuse, and haze pollution in the area. Despite global outrage at the
military crack-down on unarmed protesters in Yangon, ASEAN has refused to suspend Burma as a member,
and also rejects proposals for economic sanctions. This has caused concern as the European Union has
refused to conduct free trade negotiations at a regional level for these political reasons. During a UN vote
against the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya, majority of member states voted to either abstain or against the
condemnation. Only Muslim-majority countries Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei voted in favor of condemning
the cleansing of Rohingya. Some international observers view ASEAN as a "talk shop", stating that the
organisation is: "big on words, but small on action". "ASEAN policies have proven to be mostly rhetoric, rather
than actual implementation", according to Pokpong Lawansiri, a Bangkok-based independent analyst of
ASEAN. "It has been noted that less than 50% of ASEAN agreements are actually implemented, while ASEAN
holds more than six hundred meetings annually".
The head of the International Institute of Strategic Studies, Tim Huxley, cites the diverse political systems
present in the grouping, including many young states, as a barrier to far-reaching co-operation outside the
economic sphere. He also asserts that, in the absence of an external threat to rally against with the end of
the Cold War, ASEAN has begun to be less successful at restraining its members and resolving border
disputes such as those between Burma and Thailand and Indonesia and Malaysia. During the 12th ASEAN
Summit in Cebu, several activist groups staged anti-globalisation protests, arguing that the agenda of
economic integration would negatively affect industries in the Philippines and would cause thousands of
Filipinos to lose their jobs.
Corruption remains a widespread issue, as "tea money" remains an important requirement to grease business
transactions and to receive public services. Following the release of the Corruption Perceptions Index 2015 by
Berlin-based graft watchdog Transparency International on 27 January, its Asia Pacific director, Srirak Plipat,
noted that: "if there was one common challenge to unite the Asia-Pacific region, it would be corruption", noting
that: "from campaign pledges to media coverage to civil society forums, corruption dominates the discussion.
Yet despite all this talk, there's little sign of action."

Economic integration
The group's integration plan has raised concerns, in particular, the 2015 deadline. Business and economy
experts who attended the Lippo-UPH Dialogue in Naypyidaw cited unresolved issues relating to aviation,
agriculture, and human resources. Some panelists, among them, Kishore Mahbubani, warned against high
expectations at the onset. He stated: "Please do not expect a big bang event in 2015 where everything is going
to happen overnight when the ASEAN Economic Community comes into being. We've made progress in some
areas and unfortunately regressed in some areas."
Some panelists enumerated other matters to be dealt with for a successful launch. Among them were the
communications issues involving the 600 million citizens living in the region, creating a heightened level of
understanding in the business sector, current visa arrangements, demand for specific skills, banking
connections, and economic differences. Former Philippine National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB)
Secretary General Romulo A. Virola, said in 2012 that the Philippines does not appear to be ready to benefit
from the integration due to its "wobbly" economic performance compared to other member states. According to
Virola, the Philippines continues to lag behind in terms of employment rate, tourism, life expectancy, and
cellular subscriptions. Nestor Tan, head of BDO Unibank Inc., said that while some businesses see the Asian
Economic Blueprint (AEC) as an opportunity, the integration would be more of a threat to local firms. Tan
added that protecting the Philippines' agricultural and financial services sectors, as well as the labour sector,
would be necessary for the implementation of AEC by 2015. Standard & Poor's also believed that banks in the
Philippines are not yet prepared for the tougher competition that would result from the integration. In one of its
latest publications, S&P said banks in the country, although profitable and stable, operate on a much smaller
scale than their counterparts in the region.
Page 14 of 27
The US Chamber of Commerce has highlighted widespread concern that the much-anticipated AEC could not
be launched by the 2015 deadline. In January 2014, former ASEAN Secretary-General Rodolfo C. Severino,
wrote: "while ASEAN should not be condemned for its members' failure to make good on their commitments,
any failure to deliver will likely lead to a loss of credibility and could mean that member states fall further behind
in the global competition for export markets and foreign direct investment (FDI)". This is not the first time that
AEC faces a probable delay. In 2012, the commencement of the AEC was postponed to 31 December 2015
from the original plan of 1 January. Despite Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan's firm reassurance that "[t]here
will be no more delays and that all ten ASEAN countries will participate", even the most fervent proponents of
AEC worried that AEC would not be delivered on time as December 2015 neared.
An article published by Vietnam News echoed some of the challenges and opportunities that Vietnam faces in
preparation for the AEC. The article said that the deputy head of the Import-Export Department under
the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Tran Thanh Hai, was concerned about local enterprises' lack of knowledge
of the AEC. It was said that 80% of local enterprises surveyed acknowledged that they have little information
about the interests and challenges available for them in the ASEAN market. The article also noted that the
general secretary of the Vietnam Steel Association, Chu Duc Khai, said that most of the local steel making
enterprises lack information about doing business in the ASEAN market; they have not had a chance to study
it, and have only exported small amounts of steel to ASEAN countries. Another challenge is the need to
compete with other countries in the ASEAN market to export raw products since the country had mainly
exported raw products. The Asian Development Bank also has doubts about Cambodia's ability to meet the
AEC deadline. The leading economist of ADB, Jayant Menon, said that Cambodia needs to speed up its
customs reform and to press ahead with automating processes to reduce trade costs and minimise the
opportunities for corruption and be ready for the implementation of its National Single Window by 2015.
Despite an ASEAN Economic Community goal of significant economic integration as laid out in the AEC
Blueprint 2025, ASEAN continues to face challenges towards integration. A report published by the Asian
Trade Centre in 2019 identified multiple sectors that face challenges towards integration due to non-tariff
barriers that still exist in the region. The report stated that the goals of the AEC 2025 would not be
accomplished if ASEAN fails to address the issues of non-tariff measures and eliminate non-tariff barriers in
the region.

Territorial disputes
Several territorial disputes has affected the unity of ASEAN such as the Cambodian–Thai border
dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, the North Borneo dispute between the Philippines and Malaysia, and
the South China Sea dispute which includes Vietnam, Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, and
possibly Indonesia.

More information about ASEAN

Area Popul Dens GDP HDI[ Curren Official Leaders Accessio

Flag Country Capital (km2) ation ity per 4] cy languages Heads of Heads of n[5]
(/km2 cap. State Governme
) (PPP)[ nt
3]
Brunei Bandar 5,765 411,90 65 76,743 0.85 Brunei Malay Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah 7 January
Nation of Seri 0[6] 3 dollar 1984
Brunei, Begawan (BND;
the Abode B$)
of Peace
Cambodi Phnom 181,03 15,626 78 4,010 0.58 Cambo Khmer KingNorodo Prime 30 April
a Penh 5 ,444[7] 2 dian riel m Sihamoni MinisterHu 1999
Kingdom (KHR; n Sen
of ៛)
Cambodia
Indonesia Jakarta 1,904, 255,97 113 12,378 0.69 Indones Indonesian President Joko Widodo 8 August
Republic 569 5,000[ 4 ian 1967
of 8] rupiah
Indonesia (IDR;
Rp)
Laos Vientiane 236,80 6,492, 24 7,367 0.60 Lao kip Lao PresidentBo Prime 23 July
Lao 0 400[9] 1 (LAK; unnhang MinisterTho 1997
People's ₭) Vorachit ngloun
Democrati Sisoulith
c Republic
Malaysia Kuala 329,84 31,427 72 28,871 0.80 Malaysi Malaysian SultanAbdull Prime 8 August
Lumpur 7 ,096[1 2 an ah MinisterMa 1967
0] ringgit hathir
(MYR; Mohamad
RM)
Myanmar Naypyida 676,57 51,419 81 6,285 0.57 Myanm Burmese President Wi State 23 July
Republic w 8 ,420[1 8 ar kyat n Myint CounselorA 1997
of the 1] (MMK; ung San
Union of K) Suu Kyi
Myanmar
Philippine Manila 343,44 103,37 295 8,229 0.69 Philippi Filipino and E President Rodrigo Duterte 8 August
s 8 1,800[ 9 ne peso nglish 1967
Republic 12] (PHP;
of the ₱)
Philippine
s
Page 15 of 27
 Singapor Singapor 707.1 5,535, 6,619 90,531 0.93 Singapo Malay, Manda PresidentHali Prime 8 August
e e 000[13 2 re dollar rin, English, mah Yacob MinisterLee 1967
Republic ] (SGD; and Tamil Hsien
of S$) Loong
Singapore
Thailand Bangkok 513,11 65,339 126 17,786 0.75 Thai Thai KingVajiralon Prime 8 August
Kingdom 5 ,612[1 5 baht gkorn MinisterPra 1967
of 4] (THB; yut Chan-o-
Thailand ฿) cha
Vietnam Hanoi 331,69 92,700 248 6,876 0.69 Vietnam Vietnamese PresidentNg Prime 28 July
Socialist 0 ,000[1 4 ese uyễn Phú MinisterNg 1995
Republic 5] đồng Trọng uyễn Xuân
of Vietnam (VND; Phúc
₫)
ASEAN — 4,479, 625,00 135 5,869[ 0.66 — — Secretary General: Lim —
210 0,000[ 17] 9(U Jock Hoi
16] ND
P
cal.)

Non-member states
ASEAN Plus Three
The present members of ASEAN together with:
Area Population Density GDP HDI Currency Official Leaders
Flag Country Capital (km2) (/km2) per languages
cap.
(PPP)
China Beijing 9,640,011 1,371,790,000[18] 139.6 12,880 0.719 Chinese Standard Head of state: Xi
People's yuan Chinese Jinping
Republic (CNY; ¥) Head of
of China government: Li
Keqiang
Japan Tokyo 377,873 126,865,000[19] 337.6 37,390 0.890 Japanese Japanese (de Head of
yen facto) state: Naruhito
(JPY; ¥) Head of
government: Shinzo
Abe
South Seoul 100,140 51,448,183[20] 493 35,277 0.891 South Korean Head of state: Moon
Korea Korean Jae-in
Republic won Head of
of Korea (KRW; ₩) government: Lee
Nak-yeon

ASEAN candidate/observer states

Area Populatio Densit GDP HDI Currenc Official languages Leaders Status
Flag Country Capital (km2) n y per y
(/km2) cap.
(PPP
)
East Timor Dili 14,874 1,231,116 76.2 4,92 0.62 United Tetum and Portugue Head of Observ
Democratic 8 0 States se state: er
Republic of dollar Francisco
Timor- (USD; $) Guterres
Leste[21]
Head of
government:
Taur Matan
Ruak
Papua New Port 462,84 7,400,000 14.5 2,39 0.49 Papua English, Tok Head of Observ
Guinea Moresb 0 9 1 New Pisin and Hiri Motu state: Elizabe er
Independent y Guinean th II
State of kina
Papua New (PGK; K) Governor-
Guinea[23][2 General:
4] Bob Dadae

Head of
government:
James
Marape

East Asia Summit

GDP
Area Density per Currenc Official
Flag Country Capital Population HDI Leaders
(km2) (/km2) cap. y languages
(PPP)
Australia Canberra 7,686,85 23,881,139 2.833 46,433 0.933 Australia English (de Head of state:
Commonwe 0 n dollar facto) Elizabeth II
alth of (AUD;
Australia A$) Governor-
General:
Peter Cosgrove

Head of
government:
Scott Morrison
Page 16 of 27
 India New 3,287,24 1,276,370,000 364.4 5,855 0.586 Indian Hindi in Devan Head of state:
Republic of Delhi 0 rupee agari script, Ram Nath Kovind
India (INR; ₹) English and ot
hers Head of
government:
Narendra Modi
New Wellingto 268,680 4,612,280 16.1 35,152 0.910 New English, Māori Head of state:
Zealand n Zealand and NZ Sign Elizabeth II
dollar Language
(NZD; Governor-
NZ$) General:
Patsy Reddy

Head of
government:
Jacinda Ardern
Russia Moscow 17,075,4 146,567,880 8.3 24,805 0.778 Russian Russian Head of state:
Russian 00 ruble Vladimir Putin
Federation (RUB; )
Head of
government:
Dmitry Medvedev
United Washingt 9,629,09 321,719,000 32 54,597 0.914 United English (de Head of state and
States on, D.C. 1 States facto) government:
United dollar Donald Trump
States of (USD; $)
America

ASEAN Regional Forum

The ASEAN Regional Forum is an informal multilateral dialogue of 27 members that seeks to address security issues in
the Asia-Pacific region.
The list includes the members of the East Asia Summit plus:
GDP
Densi
Fla Area per Currenc Official
Country Capital Population ty HDI Leaders
g (km2) cap. y languages
(/km2)
(PPP)
Banglades Dhaka 147,57 159,143,01 1,099 3,373 0.608 Banglad Bengali Head of state:
h 0 2[32] .3 eshi taka Abdul Hamid
People's (BDT; ৳)
Republic of Head of
Bangladesh government:
[31] Sheikh Hasina
Wazed
Canada Ottawa 9,984,6 35,749,600 3.41 44,843 0.902 Canadia English Head of
70 n dollar and French state: Elizabeth II
(CAD;
C$) Governor-
General:
Julie Payette

Head of
government:
Justin Trudeau
Mongolia Ulaanbaatar 1,564,1 3,032,606 1.75 11,882 0.698 Mongolia Mongolian Head of state:
15 n tögrög Khaltmaagiin
(MNT; ₮) Battulga

Head of
government: Ukhn
aagiin Khürelsükh
North Pyongyang 120,54 25,155,000 198.3 1,800e 0.540(20 North Korean Supreme Leader:
Korea 0 st. 12 Korean Kim Jong-un
Democratic UNDP) won
People's (KPW; Head of state:
Republic of ₩) Choe Ryong-
Korea hae(de jure & de
facto)

Head of
government: Kim
Jae-ryong
Pakistan Islamabad 796,09 191,198,26 214.3 4,736 0.537 Pakistani Urdu and En Head of state:
Islamic 5 3 rupee glish Arif Alvi
Republic of (PKR;
Pakistan ₨) Head of
government:
Imran Khan
Sri Lanka Sri 65,610 20,771,000 323 10,372 0.750 Sri Sinhalese Head of state and
Democratic Jayawardenepur Lankan and Tamil government:
Socialist a rupee Maithripala
Republic of Kotte (Administra (LKR; රු) Sirisena
Sri Lanka tive)
Colombo (Comm
ercial)
European Brussels (de 4,324,7 508,191,11 115.9 37,607 0.876(UN Euro (EU Various Head of state:
Union facto) 82 6 DP cal.) R; €) Donald
and 10 Tusk(Council)
others

Page 17 of 27
 Head of
government:
Jean-Claude
Juncker(Commissi
on)

Membership

10 States ― Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. 1 Observer – Papua
New Guinea.ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Membership

27 States – Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, China, European Union, India, Indonesia, Japan, Democratic Peoples’
Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russian
Federation, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, United States, and Vietnam.

History

ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by the five original member countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
Brunei Darussalam joined on 8 January 1984, Vietnam on 28 July 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999.

Objectives

The ASEAN Declaration states that the aims and purposes of the Association are: (1) to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural
development in the region through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and
peaceful community of Southeast Asian nations, and (2) to promote regional peace 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. In 1995, the ASEAN Heads of State and
Government re-affirmed that “Cooperative peace and shared prosperity shall be the fundamental goals of ASEAN.”

Fundamental Principles

The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia, signed at the First ASEAN Summit on 24 February 1976, declared that in their relations
with one another, the High Contracting Parties should be guided by the following fundamental principles:

 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.

Political Cooperation

The TAC stated that ASEAN political and security dialogue and cooperation should aim to promote regional peace and stability by enhancing regional
resilience. Regional resilience shall be achieved by cooperating in all fields based on the principles of self-confidence, self-reliance, mutual respect,
cooperation, and solidarity, which shall constitute the foundation for a strong and viable community of nations in Southeast Asia.

Some of the major political accords of ASEAN are as follows:

 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

 Declaration of ASEAN Concord II, Bali, 7 October 2003

 ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism (ACCT), 11 January 2007

 Cebu Declaration on the Acceleration of the Establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015, 11 January 2007
 ASEAN Declaration on Joint Action to Counter Terrorism, 5 November 2001; and
 Joint Declaration of the ASEAN Defence Ministers on Promoting Defence Cooperation for a Dynamic ASEAN Community, 25 May
2016.

Although ASEAN States cooperate mainly on economic and social issues, the organization has a security function, with a long-discussed program for
confidence-building measures and for establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Southeast Asia, with the objective of implementing ASEAN’s 1971
Declaration on a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN), and a Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), which would be a
component of ZOPFAN.

Page 18 of 27
Verification and Compliance

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is an important multilateral forum for political and security consultations and cooperation. The ARF has begun to
explore activities where there is overlap between confidence-building measures and preventive diplomacy. ASEAN Member States are urged to settle
disputes through friendly negotiations applying the procedures of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) of 1976. However, the Member States are
not obliged to use the Treaty stipulations for the peaceful settlement of disputes. In case a State resorts to the use of force, no system of collective
security is foreseen.

Developments

2019

On 1 March, the 10th meeting of the ASEAN-US Joint Cooperation Committee took place in Jakarta. Both parties discussed shared strategic priorities,
including transnational crime, cybersecurity, and developments in the U.S.-DPRK relationship.

2018

On 5 January, Dato Lim Jock Hoi assumed office as ASEAN’s new secretary general—he will serve from 2018-2022.

On 18 March, ASEAN and Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on counter terrorism, while jointly expressing grave concerns for
the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

In April, ASEAN Centre for Energy published the report Pre-Feasibility Study on the Establishment of Nuclear Power Plant in ASEAN, outlining the
recent developments and prospects of civilian nuclear power for the ASEAN member states.

On 25 September, Thailand ratified the CTBT. With Thailand’s ratification, all ten ASEAN countries have now ratified the treaty.

From 13-15 November, the 33rd ASEAN summit took place in Singapore. The 6th ASEAN-U.S. Summit also took place on the sidelines of the larger
ASEAN summit, at which U.S. Vice President Mike Pence stated that North Korea must disclose “a complete list” of its weapons and facilities at the two
countries’ next meeting. The outgoing ASEAN Chair, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, handed over the ASEAN chairmanship to Thailand
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha at the conclusion of the larger summit.

2017

On 14 February, ASEAN expressed its grave concern over the DPRK’s test firing of on the Pukguksong-2 MRBM on 12 February 2017.

On March 2, the 24th meeting of the ASEAN-EU Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) was held in Jakarta.

On March 8, the ASEAN expressed its grave concern over the firing of ballistic missiles by the DPRK in the early morning of 6 March, 2017, reaffirming
the importance of peace and security in the Korean Peninsula and its full support for the denuclearization of the peninsula in a peaceful manner.

On April 29-30 the 30th ASEAN Summit was held in Manila, Philippines.

On August 5, the ASEAN released a statement of the development in the Korean Peninsula, reiterating grave concern over the escalation of tensions in
the peninsula.

2016

On 16 March, the new ambassador of the DPRK to ASEAN assumed office. Secretary-General Minh welcomedAmbassador An and reiterated the
importance of working toward peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

On 12 April, during the 17th meeting of the ASEAN-China Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC), the two sides renewed commitments to forge greater
cooperation.

On 25-26 May, the 10th annual ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) was held in Vientiane, Laos. The Joint Declaration of the 10th ADMM
reiterates all Member States’ commitment to responding effectively to transnational crimes and transboundary challenges.

On 6-7 September, the 28th and 29thASEAN Summits took place in Vientiane, Laos.

On 8 September, the 11th East Asia Summit (EAS) was held in Vientiane, Laos. The EAS released a statement on non-proliferation, emphasizing the
importance of advancing the goals of all three pillars of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The group also reaffirmed its
commitment to preserving the SEANWFZ.

2015

On 15-17 March, the 9th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) was held in Langkawi, Malaysia. On 16 March, the 10 defense ministers signed a
joint declaration with a focus on regional security cooperation, especially against terrorist threats posed by groups like the Islamic State (IS).

On 27 April, the 26th ASEAN Summit took place under Malaysia’s chairmanship. The chairman addressed the commitment to a region free of weapons
of mass destruction.

On 28 April, Ambassador H.E. U Kyaw Tin of Myanmar delivered a statementon behalf of ASEAN members at the 2015 NPT Review Conference,
addressing nuclear disarmament, nonproliferation, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. In the statement, he emphasized ASEAN’s commitment and
support for a world free of nuclear weapons.

On 9 June, Malaysia, on behalf of ASEAN, delivered a statement at the second session of the Conference on Disarmament. In the statement,
Ambassador Mazlan Muhammad reiterated that ASEAN Member States always regard nuclear disarmament as their priority and suggested the creation
of a clear timeline to ensure the fulfilment of the Conference’s objectives. He also mentioned the Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ) issue, the

Page 19 of 27
disappointing outcome of the 2015 NPT Review Conference, the humanitarian consequences of the use of nuclear weapons, as well as other relevant
disarmament issues.

On 4 August, the 48th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ASEAN members issued a joint statement, in which they
reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to preserving Southeast Asia as a NWFZ and called for the full implementation of the Plan of Action to Strengthen the
Implementation of the Treaty on the SEANWFZ (2013-2017).

On 8 October, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar delivered a statement on behalf of ASEAN during the opening statements for the General
Assembly First Committee. The statement outlined the group’s goals in relation to nuclear nonproliferation, disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear
energy.

2014

On 2 April, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel joined defense ministers from the 10 Asia-Pacific countries for an unofficial meeting. The purpose of the
meeting was to strengthen and “rebalance” the relationship between the United States and ASEAN.

On 27 May, the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime, through the Working Group on Cybercrime, finalized a “roadmap” for ASEAN
members to combat cybercrime through regional information sharing, capacity building, and enforcement regulation. This was followed by the
9th ASEAN-Japan Counter-Terrorism Dialogue on 29-30 May in Singapore. The meeting covered counter-terrorism in a variety of fields, including CBRN
explosives and cyber-terrorism.

On 5-10 August, the 47th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) was held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. In the meeting, the delegates addressed the
importance of nuclear nonproliferation, the commitment to Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and the cooperation with the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA).

On 10 November, the 25th ASEAN Summit took place under Myanmar’s chairmanship. The chairman addressed the concern on nuclear nonproliferation
and other regional and international security issues.

On 13 November, the 9th East Asia Summit (EAS) was held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. The Chairmanship expressed their commitment to preserving
Southeast Asia as a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and addressedother issues relevant to disarmament, nonproliferation, maritime security, and
counterterrorism.

2013

On 9 January, Mr. Le Luong Minh of Vietnam assumed the position of ASEAN Secretary-General. He succeeds Dr. Surin Pitsuwan of Thailand, and his
term expires on 31 December 2017.

On 11 January, Malaysia ratified the ASEAN Convention on Counter-Terrorism (ACCT), making it the tenth and final member of ASEAN to do so.

On 12 February, Secretary-General Le Luong Minh made a speech reaffirming the importance of the IAEA safeguards system. He emphasized the vital
role the IAEA plays under the SEANWFZ and encouraged ASEAN Member-States to cooperate with the IAEA to the fullest.

On 19 February, the Chairman of ASEAN issued a statement expressing concern over the DPRK’s underground nuclear test. He further called for the
DPRK to remember its obligations under United Nations Security CouncilResolutions, and emphasized the importance of dialogue in resolving the
tension in the Korean Peninsula.

From 24-25 April, the 22nd ASEAN Summit took place in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. The group once more reaffirmed its support for full
implementation of the SEANWFZ and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The 46th ASEAN Ministerial Meetingtook place from 27 June-2 July in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalum, chaired the meeting. At the meeting, parties adopted the Plan of Action to Strengthen the
Implementation of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free-Zone, which continued to encourage compliance with the SEANFWZ Treaty
and cooperation with the IAEA. The Joint Communique released by the AMM also expressed support for the SEANWFZ Treaty and encouraged
transparency in the interests of nuclear safety.

2012

On 2 April, Foreign Ministers of ASEAN member states began a two day summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. One of the key topics is the planned rocket
launch by North Korea. On 2 April, in Jakarta, the U.S. Deputy Assistant of State for Strategy and Multilateral Affairs gave a lecture on U.S.
multilateralism and Asia. The lecture was given on the 35th anniversary of U.S.-ASEAN relations, and covered America’s role in promoting stability,
fostering democracy and human rights, as well as encouraging economic development. It also covered international issues and transnational crime.

On 26 June, ASEAN and the Chinese government concluded a two-day meeting regarding the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of
Parties on the South China Sea (DOC). The meeting was intended to meet the following goals:

 Maintaining peace, stability, maritime security and safety and peaceful settlements of disputes on the basis of international laws.

 Enhancing the relationship between ASEAN and China.

On 17 November, Brazil acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia, making it the first Latin American country to do so.

On 18 November, the 21st ASEAN Summit took place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Mr. Le Luong Minh was appointed to serve as Secretary-General of
ASEAN beginning in 2013.The body reiterated its support for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula and full implementation of the SEANWFZ.

2011

At the 18th ASEAN Summit, which took place in May, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia called upon member states of ASEAN to
lower their dependency on fossil fuels and search for alternative methods to produce energy. Given the nuclear catastrophe in Japan, Mr. Yudhoyono
stated that nuclear energy needs to be reexamined. On 1 November, China deposited its instrument of ratification of the Third Protocol Amending the
Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).
Page 20 of 27
On 15 November, Thailand deposited its instrument of ratification of the Third Protocol Amending the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia
(TAC).

On 16 November, Brazil deposited its instrument of ratification of the Third Protocol Amending the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia
(TAC).

On 18 November, ASEAN Foreign Ministers signed the Agreement on the Establishment of the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian
Assistance on disaster management. The signing ceremony acted as the official launch of the center. The Center is aimed at strengthening the collective
response of ASEAN states to regional disasters.

On 16-17 December, the inaugural China-ASEAN Beijing Economic Forum (CABEF) took place. The forum reaffirmed the importance of bilateral
dynamics between China and ASEAN and identified economic opportunities for the two sides.

2010

On 24 March, the Philippines deposited its instrument of ratification to the ASEAN Convention on Counter-Terrorism (ACCT), becoming the third state,
after Singapore and Thailand, to ratify it. After six ASEAN member states ratify, ACCT will enter into force.

The 16th ASEAN Summit titled “Towards the Asean Community: from Vision to Action” was held on 9 April in Ha Noi, Viet Nam. The Chairman’s
statement reiterated commitment to the Southeast Asian NWFZ and its corresponding Plan of Action to achieve a zone free of nuclear weapons. He also
encouraged nuclear weapon states to sign the SEANWFZ Protocol to further promote the nuclear weapon-free zone. Furthermore, the Chairman
welcomed international efforts at the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit in Washington D.C. and the NPT Review Conference in New York and
reaffirmed support for a nuclear weapon-free Korean Peninsula through peaceful negotiations. In his statement, the Chairman also emphasized the need
to fully implement the ACCT and its Comprehensive Plan of Action.

On 4 May, H.E. Mr. Pham Binh Minh, First Deputy-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, spoke on behalf of ASEAN at the 2010 NPT Review
Conference in New York. In his statement, he noted that ASEAN continues to work with nuclear weapon states for the early signing of the SEANWFZ
Protocol. Related to this, ASEAN submitted a Memorandum on Activities to demonstrate efforts undertaken through the SEANWFZ Treaty.

On 24 September at the 2nd ASEAN-US Leaders’ Meeting in New York, ASEAN welcomed the U.S. announcement at the 2010 NPT Review Conference
that it is prepared to engage in consultations to resolve issues which have prevented it from acceding to the SEANWFZ Protocol. The statement also
congratulated the United States on the successful outcome of the Nuclear Security Summit and promised the support of ASEAN countries to work
towards preventing nuclear terrorism.

The 17th ASEAN Summit was held 28-30 October in Ha Noi – Viet Nam’s final summit as chair. The Chairman’s statement congratulated both the
Philippines for presiding over the 2010 NPT Review Conference and Viet Nam for chairing ASEAN throughout the past year and helping to raise
ASEAN’s profile in multilateral fora.

At the 13th ASEAN-ROK Summit, held during the 17th ASEAN Summit, the Chairman’s statement reaffirmed support for a complete and verifiable
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. It also encouraged both parties to implement the Joint Statement of 19 September 2005 and to resume the
Six Party Talks and the implementation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

2009

On 27 February through 1 March and again 10 through 11 April, the 14thASEAN Summit took place in Thailand in two parts. At the Summit,
theChairman’s Statement discussed the nature of the new ASEAN Charter, as this was the first gathering under the Charter.

The 29th ASEAN Chiefs of Police Conference was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 13-15 May. Among other subjects, the conference debated and adopted
resolutions regarding drugs trafficking, terrorism, arms smuggling and human trafficking. Particular attention was paid to the issue of nations providing
“mutual assistance” to each other to deal with these problems.

On 1-2 June, the Heads of State or Government of ASEAN and the Republic of Korea (ROK) met on Jeju Island to commemorate the 20th anniversary of
ASEAN-ROK relations. At the summit, they discussed the ongoing situation on the Korean Peninsula and condemned the “recent underground nuclear
test and missile launches undertaken by the DPRK.” Their statement called the tests “clear violations of the Six-Party agreements and the relevant
UNSC resolutions and decisions,” and called for “an early resumption of the Six-Party talks.”

The 42nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting was held 19-20 July in Phuket, Thailand. The Ministers issued a joint communiqué which noted encouraging
developments on nuclear disarmament and welcomed the negotiations between the United States and Russia. They also recalled the commitment of the
People’s Republic of China to no first use of nuclear weapons. Also, the Ministers hoped that participating countries in the Conference on Disarmament
(CD) would resume talks on disarmament, as called for in Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

On 22 July, the 10th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers Meeting (ASEAN+3) was held in Phuket, Thailand. The Foreign Ministers expressed concern
over recent DPRK nuclear tests and missile launches and urged the DPRK to comply with obligations under UNSC resolutions. They also encouraged
early resumption of the Six-Party Talks and the possible use of the ARF as a regional security forum including all participants to the Six-Party Talks.

On 23 July, both the United States and the European Union entered the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia.

On 23 October, the 15th ASEAN Summit was held in Thailand. In his statement, the Chairman called for the DPRK to comply with UNSC resolutions and
for all parties to return to the Six-Party Talks. The Chairman also recognized the Philippines’ Presidency of the 2010 NPT Review Conference and
encouraged ASEAN Member States to become signatories or parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) prior to the Review
Conference.

2008

On 7 January, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan from Thailand assumed the post of ASEAN Secretary-General, succeeding Mr. Ong Keng Yong.

The 28th ASEAN Chiefs of Police Conference took place from 25 to 29 May and adopted resolutions addressing cooperation in preventing terrorism and
arms smuggling.

Page 21 of 27
On 24 July, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia. Contracting Parties
agree not to participate in any activity that constitutes a threat to the political and economic stability, sovereignty, or territorial integrity of another
Contracting Party.

All 10 Member States ratified the ASEAN Charter ahead of the December goal, and the Charter entered into force on 15 December.

The 14th ASEAN Summit was scheduled to take place in Thailand 12-17 December, but it was postponed due to the political crisis in Thailand.

2007

On 10 January, France and East Timor signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC). In so doing, the two countries agreed not to attack or
threaten the member states of ASEAN. East Timor once again voiced its hopes to eventually join ASEAN.

On 11-14 January, the 12th ASEAN Summit, postponed due to Typhoon Seniang, convened amid controversy regarding corruption and the overpricing
of lamps used to light the routes to and among summit venues. On the first day of the summit, ASEAN signed five agreements: A Declaration Towards a
Caring and Sharing Community, Declaration on the Blueprint for the ASEAN Charter, Declaration on the Acceleration of the Establishment of an ASEAN
Community by 2015, ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, and the ASEAN Convention on Counter
Terrorism (ACCT).

ACCT contains provisions intended to ease prosecution and extradition of terrorism suspects. The convention also aims to strengthen the region’s law
enforcement against terrorism and its entry into force demonstrates compliance with all relevant UN Conventions and Protocols pertaining to counter-
terrorism.

At the 2nd East Asian Summit, members signed the Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security and agreement which sets nonbinding targets for
methods to achieve "reliable, adequate and affordable" energy into the future and to develop alternative sources of energy such as biofuels. Discussions
centered on deepening integration, focused primarily around two economic initiatives: beginning a study on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership in
East Asia (CEPEA) and examining Japan’s proposal for an Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). The EAS also attempted to
improve relations with China through the signing of an agreement on the trade of services.

At the 10th ASEAN-Republic of Korea Summit held the same week, the chairman addressed the situation with the DPRK, calling for full implementation
of UNSC resolutions 1695 and 1718. He also stressed the importance of arriving at a peaceful resolution of the problem through negotiations and
expressed optimism about the role that ASEAN could play as an intermediary—helping to address both humanitarian, economic and security concerns
in the region.

The 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and 14th ARF were held in Manila from 22 July through 2 August. At the Ministerial Meeting, participants reflected
on the implementation of the South East Asian Nuclear Weapons Free Zone. The Ministers called upon the NWS to ratify the protocols to the treaty and
for the accession of Israel, India and Pakistan to the treaty.

In the days prior to the meeting, Ministers discussed the creation of an agency to monitor compliance with the SEANWFZ. The ministers also discussed
their intentions to strengthen the regions relationship with the IAEA and capacity to implement safeguards.

The ASEAN members developed and adopted a Plan of Action for furthering implementation of the SEANWFZ. The Plan is intended to increase regional
coordination in opposition to nuclear weapons and deepen regional participation in the relevant international agreements. Under the Plan of Action,
States agree to pursue completion of IAEA safeguard agreements and accession to the Convention on Early Notification of Nuclear Accidents and
regional emergency response plans. In addition, the states agreed to consider accession to other relevant instruments such as the CTBT and the
counter-terrorism conventions related to nuclear weapons.

The 13th ASEAN Summit was held in Singapore 18-22 November. The focus of the meeting was on Energy, Environment, Climate Change and
Sustainable Development. The potential increase in the use of nuclear energy was discussed in this regard. The members drafted an ASEAN Leaders'
Declaration on Environmental Sustainability to be signed at the 13th ASEAN Summit.

2006

At the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting from 24-25 July, the ministers issued a joint communiqué in which they voiced their concern over recent
developments in North Korea—including the test firing of its Taepodong-2 missiles on 5 July—that could affect peace and security in the region. They
emphasized the need for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and called upon concerned parties to utilize the upcoming ASEAN Regional Forum
as an opportunity to resume the Six-Party Talks towards a peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue.

The 12th ASEAN Summit was postponed until January of 2007 due to Typhoon Seniang,

2005

Mongolia and New Zealand acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) on 29 July, and Australia followed suit on 10 December. Timor Leste
also expressed an interest in acceding to the TAC. ASEAN signed Joint Declarations on Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism with the
Republic of Korea on 27 July and with Pakistan and New Zealand on 29 July. At the 38th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, ministers encouraged Canada to
consider signing the same.

The 11th ASEAN summit convened at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 12-14 September. A landmark event was the signing of a Declaration on the
Establishment of the ASEAN Charter by its leaders. The summit saw the establishment of an Eminent Persons Group on the ASEAN Charter—
comprising 10 highly distinguished and well respected citizens from ASEAN Member Countries—to examine and provide recommendations on the
direction of ASEAN and the nature of the Charter. Accomplishments such as the implementation of the ASEAN Security Community, the establishment
of the Inter-Sessional Support Group on Confidence Building and Preventive Diplomacy, and the setting up of the ASEAN-China Joint Working Group on
the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, were duly noted. Leaders welcomed the 4th and 5th rounds of
the Six-Party Talks held in July and November in Beijing, and called on all concerned parties to exert their utmost effort toward the denuclearization of
the Korean Peninsula. They strongly condemned terrorism and reiterated the need to intensify their efforts to eliminate the root causes of terrorism at the
bilateral, regional, and multilateral levels. Leaders also recognized the role of inter-faith dialogue in fighting the spread of terrorism and promoting
understanding.

On 17 November, ASEAN and the United States issued a Joint Vision Statement on the ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership whereby they pledged to
step up cooperation in key areas spanning political, security, social, economic, and development spheres.

Page 22 of 27
The 1st East Asia Summit was convened on 14 December, with a view to establishing closer and substantial relations between the member countries of
ASEAN and the participating countries of India, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea. Leaders signed the Kuala Lumpur
Declaration on the East India Summit wherein they stated that the summit would be a “forum for dialogue on broad strategic, political, and economic
issues of common interest and concern, and with the aim of promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in East Asia.” They strongly endorsed
the Joint Statement adopted at the 4th Round of the Six-Party Talks on 19 September. It was agreed that the East Asia summit would be held annually.

2004

Efforts to combat terrorism and address proliferation issues remained crucial in 2004. These issues were designated as priority areas for cooperation
between ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners, both within the dialogue frameworks and under the ARF process. During the year, ASEAN issued joint
declarations with the United States, the European Union, India, China, Russia, and Australia on cooperation in counter-terrorism and transnational
crime-fighting. In January, ASEAN issued a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese government regarding “cooperation in the field of non-
traditional security issues,” agreeing to cooperative measures, such as information exchange and joint research in dealing with current concerns,
including arms smuggling and terrorism. Subsequently, an ASEAN Plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC +3) took place on 10
January in Bangkok, with the Ministers adopting a concept plan to address transnational crimes in the following eight areas: terrorism, illicit drug
trafficking, trafficking in persons, sea piracy, arms smuggling, money laundering, international economic crime, and cyber crime. The ministers also
issued a joint communiqué in which they reiterated their commitment to combating terrorism and other forms of organized crime, and to cooperation in
effectively developing the ASEAN Security Community. At the 4th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime in Bangkok on 8 January, the
Ministers expressed a commitment to accelerate the implementation of the 1999 ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crimes. In addition,
they discussed methods to promote effective legal cooperation and to strengthen exchange of intelligence and information in combating transnational
crimes. Another significant January meeting was the 17th ASEAN-US Dialogue, held on 30 January in Bangkok. It featured discussion of such topics as
the ASEAN-US Work Plan on Counter-Terrorism, the development of an ASEAN Security Community, and the importance of a nuclear weapons-free
Korea.

The Bali Regional Ministerial Meeting on Counter-Terrorism, co-hosted by Australia and Indonesia, met on 4-5 February. Within a broad discussion of
terrorism, the Ministers specifically noted the connection between international terrorism and the movement of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons
materials and the need for cooperation in preventing this, and agreed on several recommendations regarding how to strengthen transnational crime
prevention.

On 3 May, at the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2005 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons, the ASEAN Member States submitted a working paper regarding the status of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone. The
paper addresses the establishment of the SEANWFZ as a means to “contribute towards general and complete nuclear disarmament”, and the creation
of the SEANWFZ Commission and its Executive Committee to oversee compliance with the Treaty. It stresses that to be effective and operational,
nuclear weapon states must accede to the Protocol to the Treaty and urges them to do so as soon as possible. Furthermore, it notes that ASEAN has
been holding consultations with the five nuclear weapon states toward this end, but that only China has, thus far, reached an agreement with ASEAN
regarding the protocol.

The 37th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, the Post-Ministerial Conferences and the 11th ASEAN Regional Forum were all held between 29 June and 2 July in
Jakarta, Indonesia. At the Ministerial Meeting, themed “Striving for Full Integration of ASEAN: A Prosperous, Caring and Peaceful Community” and
chaired by H.E. Dr. N. Hassan Wirajuda, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, the Ministers issued a joint communiqué in which they
reaffirmed their commitment to establishing an ASEAN Community comprising a Security Community, an Economic Community, and a Socio-Cultural
Community by 2020, recommending that the Plans of Action for these be endorsed at the 10th ASEAN Summit in Vientiane. Ministers also reiterated the
significance of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and noted the October 2003 accession of China and the Republic of India to the
TAC, encouraging other non-Southeast Asian States to consider acceding to the Treaty as well. In addition, they addressed the state of the Treaty on
the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone, again urging the accession of the Nuclear Weapon States to its terms, and noting that China is ready to
sign the Treaty’s protocol.

The Ministers also addressed the issue of transnational crime and commended the Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN and China
regarding non-traditional security issues, emphasizing the need for cooperation in fighting terrorism, particularly within the context of the ASEAN-US
Counterterrorism Work Plan and other related agreements.

Specific regional concerns addressed by the Ministers included the situations in Iraq, the Middle East and on the Korean Peninsula. Regarding Iraq, the
Ministers welcomed Iraqi sovereignty and UN Security Council Resolution 1546. In reference to Korea, they noted the impact of the nuclear issue,
recognizing the importance of the Six Party Talks held in Beijing on 23-25 June and urging the continuation of efforts towards “a lasting solution to
achieve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”

In his concluding statement at the Ministerial Meeting on 30 July, the Secretary-General noted “substantial progress in the implementation of decisions
and directives of the 9th ASEAN Summit,” stating that the Ministers had reviewed efforts made in accordance with a six-year plan towards the attainment
of ASEAN Vision 2020, and in preparation of the Vientiane Action Programme, its proposed successor, among other topics.

At the 5th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers Meeting (ASEAN+3), which convened on 1 July, Chairman H.E Dr. N. Hassan Wirajuda issued a
statement noting that the meeting focused on various regional issues, with special emphasis placed on developments in Korea. Once gain, in addition to
addressing administrative and economic issues, the Ministers also welcomed the accession of Japan to the TAC and China’s readiness to sign to
Protocol of the Treaty of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone. The ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference Ten Plus One (PMC 10 +1) sessions
on 1 July focused on “the overview and future direction of ASEAN cooperation with its Dialogue Partners”.

Another development during the series of meetings was the signing of an ASEAN-Russia Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International
Terrorism at the ASEAN Regional Forum on 2 July as well as an ASEAN-Australia Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International
Terrorism at the 10 + 1 meeting on 1 July.

Also, both Japan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan formally signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia in Jakarta on 2 July. Japan
had announced its intent to do so in December of 2003. Pakistan’s accession made it the 24 th member of the ASEAN Regional Forum.

The 10th ASEAN Summit was held in Vientiane, Laos from 29-30 November. Leaders reaffirmed the high priority of political and security cooperation on
the ASEAN agenda. They endorsed the Plan of Action of the ASEAN Security Community, a community established to enhance ASEAN's capacity
through regional instruments and mechanisms in establishing regional norms and enhancing conflict prevention, resolution, and peace-building in the
region. The establishment of a forum for ASEAN defense ministers was also endorsed. Leaders agreed on the urgent need to sustain cooperative
activities in counter-terrorism. The establishment of a network of law enforcement agencies among ASEAN member countries was proposed.

Leaders endorsed the Vientiane Action Programme to implement the ASEAN Vision 2020 for the next six years and agreed to mobilize resources for this
purpose. They also reaffirmed the role of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in maintaining peace and security in the region. Russia acceded to
the TAC on 29 November, thereby becoming the second nuclear weapon state and UN Security Council member to sign the TAC after China. The
Republic of Korea also acceded to the TAC on 27 November.

Page 23 of 27
The ASEAN-Japan Joint Declaration for Co-operation in Counter-Terrorism was adopted at the 8th ASEAN-Japan summit on 30 November. At the
ASEAN-Japan Senior Officials Meeting, Japan stated that it would like to advance cooperation with ASEAN in the specific areas of counter-terrorism and
nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the reduction of tension in the Korean Peninsula.

2003

On 6 January, Ong Keng Yong, former Press Secretary to Singapore’s Prime Minister, assumed the position of Secretary-General of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations at a ceremony in Jakarta. Filipino Diplomat Rodolfo C. Severino, Jr., previously occupied the post. The transition took place at
the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia.

On 19 March, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers issued a statement on the situation in the Korean Peninsula at their informal meeting in Karambunei,
Malaysia. The Foreign Ministers expressed their continued concern over the evolving situation in the Peninsula that could lead to a serious threat to
peace, security, and stability in the whole Asia-Pacific region. They reiterated that the ARF remains an important forum for facilitating dialogue with the
concerned parties about a lasting and durable solution, and urged its Chairman to continue his concerted efforts in this regard.

The Post-Ministerial Conference of the 36th ASEAN Ministerial meeting was held from 16-19 June in Phnom Penh, Cambodia under the chairmanship of
H.E. Mr. Hor Namhong, the Cambodian Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of
all 10 ASEAN nations, the ASEAN Secretary-General, as well as Dialogue Partners from Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan,
South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the United States, and the United Nations Development Program attended the meeting. The representatives at the
meeting exchanged views on the issues of conflict in the Middle East, terrorism, trafficking in persons, drugs, economic development, HIV/AIDS, and
SARS. The ASEAN ministers also agreed upon cooperative arrangements with China, the United States, the European Union, and Russia in counter-
terrorism and other non-traditional security issues. In addition, the Ministers also agreed to cooperate in the global effort to fight terrorism through
international conventions as well as through law enforcement, defense, intelligence, immigration and customs, and financial systems. The Ministers
condemned the violence in the Middle East and said that “both Israel and the Palestinian Authority shared the responsibility in maintaining peace,
stability and law and order in the region.” The meeting recognized further cooperation to prevent HIV/AIDS and welcomed the successes in the fight
against SARS, while also recognizing that the battle against SARS is not “yet over.”

In the Chairman’s statement at the ARF, views were expressed urging the DPRK to “resume cooperation with the IAEA” and to reverse its decision to
“withdraw from the NPT.” The Ministers also emphasized that outstanding security and humanitarian issues should be addressed through increased
dialogue. The United States Secretary of State Colin L. Powell addressed the Ministers during the meeting, welcoming the Chairman’s statement on
North Korea and stressing the need for ASEAN’s assistance in achieving a diplomatic solution in North Korea through continued pressure from ASEAN.

On 7-8 October 2003, the Ninth ASEAN Summit was held in Bali, Indonesia. Subsequently, the ASEAN leaders had the Seventh “ASEAN+3” Summit
with leaders from China, Japan, and Republic of Korea. During the Summit, ASEAN leaders discussed in particular the latest situation on the Korean
Peninsula, the recent developments on terrorism and the issue of Iraq and the Middle East.

Also during the Summit, on 7 October, the Ministers issued the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II (Bali Concord II), in which they pledged to achieve, by
2020, an “ASEAN Community” comprised of an “ASEAN Security Community”, along with an “ASEAN Economic Community” and an “ASEAN Socio-
cultural Community.” It was envisaged that the ASEAN Security Community would increase ASEAN’s political and security cooperation, and would rely
exclusively on peaceful means for the settlement of intraregional differences. The Community should also strengthen national and regional capacities to
counter terrorism and other trans-national crimes, and ensure that the Southeast Asian region remains free of all weapons of mass destruction. To
establish modalities for the Community, the ASEAN leaders agreed that Indonesia would develop a Plan of Action for the ASEAN Security Community.

On the second day of the Summit, the ASEAN leaders held a meeting with each of the leaders of China, Japan, Republic of Korea and India. In the
meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao of China, they signed a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity. In the Declaration, the
ASEAN countries and China agreed to continue consultations on China’s intention to accede to the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear
Weapons-Free Zone. The ASEAN leaders commended China for taking the initiative that led to the convening of the Six-Party talks to mitigate the crisis
on the Korean Peninsula. They encouraged China to maintain its constructive role in the search for a political solution to the problem. The ASEAN
countries and China also agreed to (1) expedite the implementation of the Joint Statement on Cooperation in the Field of Non-Traditional Security
Issues, (2) hold an ASEAN-China security-related dialogue to enhance mutual understanding and promote peace and stability in the region, and (3)
follow-up the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. In addition, India and member countries of ASEAN signed a Joint
Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism on 8 October

Also on 8 October, both the People’s Republic of China and India formally acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, with the
ASEAN member countries issuing a declaration of consent to this accession.

In a meeting with President Roh Moo Hyun of the Republic of Korea, the ASEAN leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a peaceful solution of the North
Korean nuclear issue through dialogue, and welcomed the convening of the Six-Party Talks as a positive step towards this end. They expressed their
hope that the next talk would be held soon to maintain the momentum for dialogue, and that the ARF could be utilized as a forum to discuss this
particular issue.

The ASEAN leaders and Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee of India held talks on the issue of terrorism and agreed to enhance cooperation in
fighting terrorism. Both sides adopted the Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism.

On 12 December, during the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit in Tokyo, Japan signed a declaration of its intent to accede to the Treaty of Amity
and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and ASEAN issued a declaration of consent to the accession., of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia by
Japan. ASEAN States and Japan also issued an ASEAN-Japan Plan of Actionemphasizing economic, cultural, and security-related cooperation.

2002

The 35th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting took place in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, on 29-30 July. The Ministers acknowledged that following
the 2001 ASEAN Declaration on Joint Action to Counter Terrorism, ASEAN at all levels had undertaken practical measures and expressed its
determination to further enhance ASEAN’s role and contribution in the fight against terrorism.

The Ministers welcomed on-going consultations between ASEAN and the nuclear weapon states (NWS) on the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty and
urged the NWS to sign the Protocol to the Treaty as soon as possible.

In view of the US withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, the Ministers welcomed the signing of the Treaty on Strategic Offensive
Reductions between the Russian Federation and the United States on 24 May 2002. They noted the importance of this Treaty as a contribution to
strategic balance, world peace, and long-term international security. They further called for the NWS to continue dialogue to look for new ideas and
approaches to address the issue of nuclear disarmament.

Page 24 of 27
2001

The 34th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 23-24 July. The Ministers welcomed the progress in the implementation of the
SEANWFZ Treaty, stressed the importance of direct consultation between ASEAN, and the NWS and considered this significant progress towards
encouraging the accession of the NWS to the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty. In this connection, they welcomed the first direct consultation between
ASEAN and the NWS in Hanoi on 19 May 2001, reaffirmed their support for this process, and called for continued consultations with the NWS. The
Ministers also noted with satisfaction the progress in the implementation of the overlapping confidence building measures (CBMs) and preventive
diplomacy (PD).

The Ministers stressed the importance of achieving universal adherence to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the Non-
Proliferation Treaty (NPT), called on the NWS to make further efforts towards the elimination of all nuclear weapons, noted the progress on negotiating a
verification Protocol to the Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention (BTWC), noted the outcome of the UN Conference on Small Arms and Light
Weapons in All Its Aspects held in New York on 9-20 July 2001, and expressed their hope that the Program of Action adopted by this conference would
be implemented effectively. They also noted the recent dialogues among the major powers and concerned States on national missile defenses (NMD).

On 5-6 November, at the 7th ASEAN Summit at Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, ASEAN Heads of State adopted a Declaration on Joint Action to Counter
Terrorism, in which they unequivocally condemned “in the strongest terms” the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington and
considered such acts as an attack against humanity and an assault on “all of us.” ASEAN Heads of State stated that they viewed acts of terrorism in all
its forms and manifestations, committed wherever, whenever and by whomsoever, as a profound threat to international peace and security. They
rejected any attempt to link terrorism with any religion or race and committed to counter, prevent, and suppress all forms of terrorist acts in accordance
with the UN Charter and other international law, especially taking into account the importance of all relevant UN resolutions. They shall consider joint
practical counter-terrorism measures in line with specific circumstances in the region and in each member country. The Heads of State agreed on the
practical steps to counter international terrorism, including review and strengthening of national mechanisms to combat international terrorism; early
signing and/or ratification of or accession to all relevant anti-terrorism conventions including the International Convention for the Suppression of the
Financing of Terrorism; deeper cooperation among front-line law enforcement agencies in combating terrorism and sharing “best practices”; enhanced
information intelligence exchange to facilitate the flow of information, in particular, on terrorists and terrorist organizations, their movement and funding,
and any other information needed to protect lives, property, and the security of all modes of travel; strengthened cooperation at bilateral, regional, and
international levels in combating terrorism in a comprehensive manner affirming that at the international level the UN should play a major role in this
regard, etc.

2000

The Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations convened at the 33rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok on 24-25 July under
the chairmanship of Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Foreign Minister of Thailand. The Ministers welcomed the progress made in implementing the SEANWFZ Treaty
and noted with satisfaction the establishment of all the various organs under the Treaty and the work undertaken by these organs, including
consultations with the International Atomic Energy Agency. They welcomed China’s announcement made in July 1999 of its readiness to accede to the
Protocol to the Treaty, and called on the other NWS to exercise greater flexibility in consultations on the Protocol. The Ministers reiterated importance of
CBMs and PD in the intra-regional relations and stressed the importance of continued participation of defense and military officials in the ARF process.

The Ministers reiterated the importance of achieving universal adherence to the CTBT and the NPT and welcomed the convening of the NPT Review
Conference 2000 in New York on 24 April-19 May and hoped that it would create momentum towards the implementation of concrete measures on
nuclear disarmament by the NWS. In this regard, the Ministers affirmed the unanimous conclusion of the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of
Justice of 8 July 1996 that “there exists an obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all
its aspects under strict and effective international control.” The Ministers stressed the importance for all States that had not ratified the Chemical
Weapons Convention (CWC) to consider doing so at the earliest opportunity and noted the progress in negotiating the BTWC verification Protocol by the
Ad Hoc-Group of the State Parties to the BTWC.

1999

At their 6th Meeting in Singapore from 23 to 24 July, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers convened the Commission of the SEANWFZ Treaty for the first time.
The Commission ordered the preparation of the draft rules of procedure and initiation of all necessary actions in compliance with the Treaty, including
consultations with the NWS, the IAEA, and other related bodies. The Ministers noted the consultations which had taken place between the ASEAN
Working Group on ZOPFAN and the SEANWFZ and the NWS and urged the NWS to accede to the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty as another means
of enhancing the regional security environment.

The Ministers noted the entry into force of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines
and on their Destruction and agreed to support initiatives to enhance international cooperation on de-mining, including training, and in the removal of
unexploded ordinance as well as the rehabilitation of mine victims.

1998

The 6th ASEAN Summit was held in Hanoi, Vietnam from 15 to 16 December. Participants issued the Hanoi Declaration in which States pledged to
intensify their efforts to address arms smuggling, and to intensify consultations with NWS with a view to their accession to the Protocol to the SEANWFZ
Treaty. The Hanoi Plan of Action, also adopted at the Summit, also called for the convening of the Commission for the SEANWFZ to oversee
implementation and ensure compliance with the Treaty. The ASEAN countries reaffirmed their support for and active participation in all efforts to achieve
the objective of general and complete disarmament, especially the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons and of other weapons of mass destruction
(WMD).

At the 5th Ministerial Meeting in Manila from 24 to 25 July, the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN issued a Joint Communiqué in which they reiterated that
signature of the SEANWFZ Protocol by the NWS would equal a pledge of support for nuclear disarmament and nuclear-weapon-free zones. The
Communiqué also addressed the nuclear tests by India and Pakistan, by stating their view that the recent tests in South Asia were not conducive to the
full realization of the Treaty.

1997

The “ASEAN Vision 2020” adopted in Kuala Lumpur on 15 December, by the Heads of State/Government of ASEAN, envisioned a “Concert of
Southeast Asian Nations” to be in 2020 a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality, as envisaged in the Kuala Lumpur Declaration of 1971. It envisioned
a Southeast Asia free from nuclear weapons, with all the NWS committed to the purposes of the SANWFZ Treaty through their adherence to its
Protocol. It also envisioned the region to be free from all other WMD, and the ASEAN Regional Forum as an established means for confidence-building
and preventive diplomacy and for promoting conflict-resolution.

Page 25 of 27
1996

The 29th Annual ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, involving Foreign Ministers, issued a communiqué in Jakarta on 21 July. It called for the expeditious
ratification of the SEANWFZ Treaty, and for an end to nuclear testing and the conclusion of a CTBT.

1995

At the 5th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, on 15 December, ASEAN leaders signed the SEANWFZ Treaty. The parties to the SEANWFZ comprise the
current 10 ASEAN members. The notion of a SEANWFZ dates back to 27 November 1971, when the original five members of the ASEAN meeting in
Kuala Lumpur signed a Declaration on a [ASEAN] Zone of Peace, Freedom, and Neutrality (ZOPFAN). None of the NWS had yet signed the Protocols,
largely due to US and French objections regarding the unequivocal nature of security assurances and over the definitions of territory (including exclusive
economic zones).

SOUTHEAST GAMES
Game Yea Host Nation Host City Opened by Date Sport Event Nation Competito Top Nation
s r s s s rs
I 195 Bangkok King 12–17 12 N/A 6 518
Thailand Thailand (TH
9 Bhumibol Decembe
A)
Adulyadej r
II 196 Burma Yangon President 11–16 13 N/A 7 623 Burma (BIR)
1 Win Maung Decembe
r
1963
III 196 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur King Ismail 14–21 14 N/A 6 963
Thailand (TH
5 Nasiruddin Decembe
A)
r
IV 196 Bangkok King 9–16 16 N/A 6 984
Thailand Thailand (TH
7 Bhumibol Decembe
A)
Adulyadej r
V 196 Burma Yangon President 6–13 15 N/A 6 920 Burma (BIR)
9 Ne Win Decembe
r
VI 197 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur King Abdul 6–13 15 N/A 7 957
Thailand (TH
1 Halim Decembe
A)
r
VII 197 Singapore President 1–8 16 N/A 7 1632
Singapor Thailand (TH
3 Benjamin Septemb
e A)
Sheares er
VIII 197 Bangkok King 9–16 18 N/A 4 1142
Thailand Thailand (TH
5 Bhumibol Decembe
A)
Adulyadej r
IX 197 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur King Yahya 19–26 18 N/A 7 N/A
Indonesia (IN
7 Petra Novembe
A)
r
X 197 Jakarta President 21–30 18 N/A 7 N/A
Indonesi Indonesia (IN
9 Suharto Septemb
a A)
er
XI 198 Philippin Manila President 6–15 18 N/A 7 ≈1800
Indonesia (IN
1 es Ferdinand Decembe
A)
Marcos r
XII 198 Singapore President 28 May – 18 N/A 8 N/A
Singapor Indonesia (IN
3 Devan Nair 6 June
e A)
XIII 198 Bangkok King 8–17 18 N/A 8 N/A
Thailand Thailand (TH
5 Bhumibol Decembe
A)
Adulyadej r
XIV 198 Jakarta President 9–20 26 N/A 8 N/A
Indonesi Indonesia (IN
7 Suharto Septemb
a A)
er
XV 198 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur King Azlan 20–31 24 N/A 9 ≈2800
Indonesia (IN
9 Shah August
A)
XVI 199 Philippin Manila President 24 28 N/A 9 N/A
Indonesia (IN
1 es Corazon Novembe
A)
Aquino r–3
Decembe
r
XVII 199 Singapore President 12–20 29 N/A 9 ≈3000
Singapor Indonesia (IN
3 Wee Kim June
e A)
Wee
XVIII 199 Chiang Mai Crown 9–17 28 N/A 10 3262
Thailand Thailand (TH
5 Prince Decembe
A)
Vajiralongko r
rn
XIX 199 Jakarta President 11–19 36 490 10 5179
Indonesi Indonesia (IN
7 Suharto October
a A)
XX 199 Brunei Bandar Seri Sultan 7–15 21 233 10 2365
Thailand (TH
9 Darussalam Begawan Hassanal August
A)
Bolkiah
XXI 200 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur King 8–17 32 391 10 4165 Malaysia (MA
1 Salahuddin Septemb S)
er
XXII 200 Hanoi and Ho Chi Prime 5–13 32 442 11 ≈5000
Vietnam Vietnam (VIE)
3 Minh City Minister Decembe
Phan Văn r
Khải
XXIII 200 Philippin Manila President 27 40 443 11 5336 Philippines (P
5 es Gloria Novembe HI)
Page 26 of 27
 Macapagal r–5
Arroyo Decembe
r
XXIV 200 Nakhon Ratchasima Crown 6–15 43 475 11 5282
Thailand Thailand (TH
7 Prince Decembe
A)
Vajiralongko r
rn
XXV 200 Vientiane President 9–18 29 372 11 3100
Laos Thailand (TH
9 Choummaly Decembe
A)
Sayasone r
XXVI 201 Jakarta and Palemb President 11–22 44 545 11 4965
Indonesi Indonesia (IN
1 ang Susilo Novembe
a A)
Bambang r
Yudhoyono
XXVII 201 Naypyidaw Vice 11–22 37 460 11 4730
Myanma Thailand (TH
3 President Decembe
r A)
Nyan Tun r
XXVIII 201 Singapore President 5–16 36 402 11 4370
Singapor Thailand (TH
5 Tony Tan June
e A)
XXIX 201 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur King 19–30 38 404 11 4709 Malaysia (MA
7 Muhammad August S)
V
XXX 201 Philippin Various President 30 56 529 11
9 es Rodrigo Novembe
Duterte r – 11
Decembe
r
XXXI 202 Hanoi
Vietnam
1
XXXII 202 Phnom Penh
Cambodi
3
a
XXXIII 202 TBA
Thailand
5

The 1963 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games were cancelled. As the designated host, Cambodia was
not able to host the event due to unsettling in-country conditions,along with a disagreement with
the International Amateur Athletic Federation. The 3rd SEAP Games then passed to Laos as hosts, but
they begged off the 1965 event citing financial difficulties.[2]
HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES

The Southeast Asian Games owes its origins to the South East Asian Peninsula Games or SEAP Games.
On 22 May 1958, delegates from the countries in Southeast Asian Peninsula attending the Asian
Games in Tokyo, Japan had a meeting and agreed to establish a sport organisation. The SEAP
Games was conceptualised by Luang Sukhum Nayaoradit, then Vice-President of the Thailand
Olympic Committee. The proposed rationale was that a regional sports event will help promote co-
operation, understanding and relations among countries in the Southeast Asian region.
Six countries, Burma
(now Myanmar), Kampuchea (now Cambodia), Laos, Malaya(now Malaysia), Thailand and Vietnam were
the founding members. These countries agreed to hold the Games biennially in June 1959 and SEAP
Games Federation Committee was formed thereafter.[1]
The first SEAP Games were held in Bangkokfrom 12–17 December 1959 comprising more than 527
athletes and officials from Thailand, Burma, Malaya (now Malaysia), Singapore, South Vietnam and
Laos participating in 12 sports.
At the 8th SEAP Games in 1975, the SEAP Federation considered the inclusion
of Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. These countries were formally admitted in 1977, the same
year when SEAP Federation changed their name to Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF), and
the games were known as the Southeast Asian Games. East Timor was admitted at the 22nd Southeast
Asian Games in Vietnam.
The 2009 Southeast Asian Games was the first time Laos has ever hosted a Southeast Asian Games
(Laos had previously declined hosting the 1965 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games citing financial
difficulties). Running from 9–18 December, it has also commemorated the 50 years of the Southeast
Asian Games, held in Vientiane, Laos.

EACH ASEAN COUNTRIES' CULTURE

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