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    Kenneth T. Davis, PhD-Chairman of the Board of Regents, BIED Society
    BIED Society
    Dash  ·  
    Sep 30, 2020

    The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

    in Center for Asia Pacific Policy


    The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

    Brunei Darussalam then joined on 7 January 1984, Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.

    AIMS AND PURPOSES

    As set out in the ASEAN Declaration, the aims and purposes of ASEAN are:

    1. To accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership in order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations;

    2. To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries of the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter;

    3. To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields;

    4. To provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities in the educational, professional, technical and administrative spheres;

    5. To collaborate more effectively for the greater utilisation of their agriculture and industries, the expansion of their trade, including the study of the problems of international commodity trade, the improvement of their transportation and communications facilities and the raising of the living standards of their peoples;

    6. To promote Southeast Asian studies; and

    7. To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organisations with similar aims and purposes, and explore all avenues for even closer cooperation among themselves.

    FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

    In their relations with one another, the ASEAN Member States have adopted the following fundamental principles, as contained in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) of 1976:

    1. Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations;

    2. The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion;

    3. Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;

    4. Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner;

    5. Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and

    6. Effective cooperation among themselves.

    ASEAN COMMUNITY

    The ASEAN Vision 2020, adopted by the ASEAN Leaders on the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN, agreed on a shared vision of ASEAN as a concert of Southeast Asian nations, outward looking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in partnership in dynamic development and in a community of caring societies.

    At the 9th ASEAN Summit in 2003, the ASEAN Leaders resolved that an ASEAN Community shall be established.

    At the 12th ASEAN Summit in January 2007, the Leaders affirmed their strong commitment to accelerate the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015 and signed the Cebu Declaration on the Acceleration of the Establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015.

    The ASEAN Community is comprised of three pillars, namely the ASEAN Political-Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. Each pillar has its own Blueprint, and, together with the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Strategic Framework and IAI Work Plan Phase II (2009-2015), they form the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community 2009-2015.

    Please click here for the ASEAN Political-Security Community Video.

    Please click here for the ASEAN Economic Community Video.

    Please click here for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Video.

    Please click here for ASEAN History and Purposes.

    ASEAN CHARTER

    The ASEAN Charter serves as a firm foundation in achieving the ASEAN Community by providing legal status and institutional framework for ASEAN. It also codifies ASEAN norms, rules and values; sets clear targets for ASEAN; and presents accountability and compliance.

    The ASEAN Charter entered into force on 15 December 2008. A gathering of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers was held at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta to mark this very historic occasion for ASEAN.

    With the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter, ASEAN will henceforth operate under a new legal framework and establish a number of new organs to boost its community-building process.

    In effect, the ASEAN Charter has become a legally binding agreement among the 10 ASEAN Member States.

    Find out more about the ASEAN Charter here.


     

    The International Affairs Academy, Document of the Day - Free Professional Development is a great place to stay current on key priorities in International Affairs. We look forward to learning from you, come join the conversation.

    16 comments
    16 Comments

    Share Your ThoughtsSign up to leave a comment.

    Cornita Bullock
    Oct 01, 2020

    Recent discussions between the US State Department and the Democratic Republic covered several topics dealing with political security, economics, social-cultural issues and the significance of a US-ASEAN strategic partnership. The US-ASEAN summit aimed to strengthen relations. The participants reaffirmed commitments to maintaining partnerships, peaceful resolution of disputes, participation in denuclearization negotiations amongst ASEAN nations and UN sanctions implementation. Also, encouraging was ASEAN countries wellness to discuss providing opportunities for woman and girls to gain access to education and training.

    https://www.state.gov/33rd-u-s-asean-dialogue-strengthening-u-s-asean-relations/

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    Madison Waier
    Oct 01, 2020
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    I am not particularly familiar with ASEAN, nevertheless this was an interesting read. Correct me if I am wrong, but from my understanding it appears the charter was not in force until several decades after the association was originally established. If my understanding is correct it is impressive that 10 states were able to maintain a relationship for so long without a formal charter. Although, based on the discussion it does not appear to be especially unified. It appears that the members of ASEAN would have a better chance at becoming a larger global influence if they were able to cooperate with each other and look back at the goals they established in the charter as well as utilizing what other charters are finding to be successful for maintaining peace.


    As a few of my colleagues pointed out, NATO and ASEAN have many similarities in their goals (specifically promoting stability and peace in their region). Since the United Nations was founded prior to both of these regional associations it appears to be an easy starting point for establishing one's own charter considering the member states overlap. Due to the overlap, ASEAN member states must adhere to the UN charter (similar to NATO) leading to the similarities we see between the two charters.

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    Khala Lynn Vines
    Sep 30, 2020
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    I really enjoy the parallels in power dynamics between NATO and ASEAN. With NATO, you see the power of major players, such as the US, through the power dynamic and influence of NATO off balance. This is similar to ASEAN and the power of China. Essentially, nothing in ASEAN is done without the influence of China. This is why I believe ASEAN lacks a lot of power and accreditation that other NGOs have.

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    Madeline Smith
    Sep 30, 2020
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    I think this document is interesting given the historical context of these states and the region. The only two states in this agreement I have studied in any depth are Bangladesh and Myanmar, so this agreement is interesting to get more information on. Like other people have said, this agreement seems to have very similar goals to NATO and seeks to promote stability and cooperation in the region. This being said, it is disheartening to see the lack of policy action that has come out of the body to assist the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar. It was a topic up for discussion in late July at their yearly summit, and still, nothing has been done. Other member states have gone so far as to reject asylum-seeking Rohingya people at their borders and coastlines, sending them back to their oppressive origin. This human rights atrocity is being blatantly ignored, regardless of their commitment to promote security and stability in the region. Obviously, this one lack of action does not negate the rest of the work they have done but for a conflict that has gone on so long and has been so bloody is hard to ignore.


    www.hrw.org
    ASEAN: Overhaul Regional Response to Rohingya Crisis

    https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2019/7/22/asean-can-no-longer-turn-a-blind-eye-to-myanmars-atrocities/?gb=true

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    Jay Rosato
    Sep 30, 2020
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    Replying to

    That Human Rights Watch article was especially disheartening to read. Malaysia and Thailand especially seem to both be acting in blatent disregard to the ASEAN charter, not to mention international law.

    As far as I can tell, ASEAN has still not acted despite having nearly four years to do so. Based on the discussion we have been having, it appears as though ASEAN is not a very capable political actor, as it is unable to present a unified front when dealing with regional issues and seemingly indifferent to human rights crises on the continent.

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    Roy Rashke
    Sep 30, 2020
    •

    ASEAN was very interesting to learn about. The purpose of ASEAN aligns similarly with NATO. Both serve the purpose of maintaining peace and stability in their regions. They both stress the importance of nuclear free zones and the assurance of their peoples living in a peaceful environment. NATO and ASEAN stressed the importance of cooperation and the idea of furthering the ideas of democracy. ASEAN take the stance that they serve a purpose of maintaining a proactive role in the region as well. The principles of this alliance align with NATO’s as well. I think the ability for members to respect each other’s independence, sovereignty, and territory is super important in any alliance. The stance of being resilient of peaceful settlements of disputes and sharing a commitment for enhancing peace is a basic value that every alliance should uphold. With the creation ASEAN and NATO, and the great number of similarities between them, I wonder if they would be able to work together on some aspects of global peace. Membership in NATO and ASEAN seem to be similar as well except a stipulation that is present in NATO’s membership which is a Democratic Nation that aligns with their values is not present in ASEANs’. The community councils seem to embody what @Jay Rosato, @Madeline Smith and I talked about with NATO. My colleagues and I brought up that maybe NATO would be better served with subcommittees. That was a very interesting concept which seemed to have worked for this alliance which begs the question if this is working for ASEAN why does NATO not implement it?

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    Jay Rosato
    Sep 30, 2020
    •
    Replying to

    Great post @Roy Rashke. I agree with you that the community councils are a very good model, and NATO should consider a similar model to better direct its focus.


    With regard to your point about ASEAN cooperation with NATO, I think it would be interesting to see the rebirth of SEATO. SEATO at one time consisted of the US, Australia, France, the UK, the Philippines, New Zealand, and Thailand (several of whom are now in ASEAN), and was meant to be a bulwark against communism in the region. Though from my understanding, it was a lot more primitive than NATO, never having a standing force and never really conducting any foreign operations. But I think reforming SEATO, possibly even as a branch or cooperative of NATO, between ASEAN members, Australia, New Zealand, and maybe some other friendly regional powers. As China becomes a larger threat to western powers and the global center of power shifts towards the Indo-pacific region, having a strong western-democratic presence could be essential.

    I also think that perhaps by integrating a reformed SEATO in some manner with NATO, it could help to solve a lot of the issues @Justin Spusta brought up, namely that the alliance seems to have little ability to uphold human rights among its members.

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    Roy Rashke
    Sep 30, 2020
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    Replying to

    @Jay Rosato I agree with you on SEATO. As for @Justin Spusta, I believe your comments about the condemnation of Myanmar are very crucial. It goes directly to the heart of ASEAN's human rights and diversity policies. I also concur that it is fascinating to see what makes the EU's and NATO's human rights policies successful, I, myself compared several aspects of NATO to ASEAN and found several similarities and differences.

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    Madeline Smith
    Sep 30, 2020
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    Replying to

    As I wrote in my original response, ASEAN has not yet proven to be capable of being an actor in the political global sphere. I think regionally they have still been weak and before they can expand influence they have to stabilize themselves.

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    Justin Spusta
    Sep 30, 2020
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    I think that it is interesting that social progress and justice are mentioned in this document. One would expect that the ASEAN countries would have condemned Myanmar for the recent Rohingya genocide but it went largely ignored by the ASEAN community. However, now ASEAN members have to deal with the influx of Rohingya refugees due to attacks in Myanmar on their villages. One can also look at the human rights violations committed under President Duterte, who natably ran on a strict "tough-on-crime" platform. It is fascinating to see what makes the EU's and NATO's human rights policies successful whereas many other supranational organizations have failed to keep each other in check. In my opinion, I think that because the EU started with a focus on community and economic revival after World War II, it allowed the member countries to build a rapport with each other. In many other supranational organizations, I do not believe there is the same level of closeness with the other member states resulting in a reluctance to disrupt the peace by calling for improved human rights standards.

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    Jay Rosato
    Sep 30, 2020
    •
    Replying to

    @Justin Spusta Great analysis. The EU developed very naturally, and NATO played on a common enemy among like-minded states. I don't think this common bond is present in ASEAN. The only thing that really unites ASEAN members is geography, which is important, but usually not a strong enough tie to bring nations together. To me, ASEAN seems more like the first step towards an EU rather than a version of the EU. Furthermore, unlike NATO with the USSR, ASEAN doesn't have a common enemy to unite against. The alliance seems divided within itself on how to handle China and the potential threat it poses to the region, which will not allow for it to act like NATO was able to against the USSR.

    One of the challenges of ASEAN is that unlike other regional organizations, it doesn't really seem to have a mechanism for keeping states in line. Partially because many of these states participate in acts that are supposed to be outlawed by the charter. As you brought up, Duterte in the Philippines has committed human rights atrocities, which blatantly violates ASEAN's mission to "promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries of the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter" and yet ASEAN hasn't placed any sanctions or threatened to expel anyone. While ECOWAS is far from a perfect example, when Mali underwent a coup, ECOWAS was quick to impose sanctions. I don't see this sense of regional accountability occurring in ASEAN.

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    Nathan Danko
    Sep 30, 2020
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    I’ve noticed some parallels between ASEAN and NATO in their documentation. Both organizations have a dedication to, promoting regional peace and stability. NATO is focused on the regional security of the member states. ASEAN has the same desire with their intergovernmental organization. I noticed that ASEAN was founded almost 20-years after NATO was in 1949. Both NATO and ASEAN also have a focus on technological training and information sharing. I found that like NATO, ASEAN has a cybersecurity directive with their own operations. I found a copy of the 2015 ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy online. I have linked that below. ASEAN has unique challenges presented in cyber. The straits of Malacca interacts with four different ASEAN countries. The straits of Malacca are vital to international shipping and have become a point of contention for China and ASEAN nations. Cyber attacks targeting the onshore networks of the straits of Malacca could cripple international trade. The ships passing through the straits also maintain a cyber risk as the ships themselves can carry cyber based infections.



    https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/14-TELMIN-17-JMS_adopted.pdf


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    Jay Rosato
    Sep 30, 2020
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    Replying to

    I didn't even really consider the role that cyber-security can play in protecting international trade, but as you point out, the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea, both of which surrounded by ASEAN members, are key to global trade. As such, it is good to see that ASEAN has taken this into account. I also noted that the "The 17th ASEAN Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers Meeting and Related Meetings" mentioned the role that the United States has played in aiding in the development of ASEAN's cyber security program. It think it is great to see cooperation between the US and international organizations, especially when combatting common threats to common interests.

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    Madeline Smith
    Sep 30, 2020
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    Replying to

    That document was interesting to read. Considering cybersecurity when assessing the viability of programs like this is important and can be a large factor in the region's long term stability. Because as a region Southeast Asia is farther behind the rest of the world in cybersecurity, reading that they are keeping innovation high on their priority list is good to see.

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    Jay Rosato
    Sep 30, 2020
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