ASEANAsARegionalOrganisation

Source:http://www.
Author:SureshKhadav
Publishedon:November22,2013
ASEANAsARegionalOrganisation:AnEvaluative
Analysis
ASEANOnevision,oneidentity,oneCommunity

SureshKhadav'sProfile
anddetails

Student,BA,LLB.

AssociationofSouthEasternAsianNations(ASEAN)isa
NationalLaw
GeoPoliticalandeconomicorganization.Itconsistsoften
UniversityandJudicial
membercountriesofSouthEastAsia.Itwasformedon8Aug,
Academy,Assam.
1967.ASEANformedwiththesigningofASEANdeclaration
orBangkokdeclarationbyIndonesia,Malaysia,Singapore,
ThailandandPhilippinesfoundingfathersbutlateronmembershiphasexpandedtoBrunei,
Burma,Cambodia,LaosandVietnam.ThemottoofASEANisOnevision,oneidentity,one
Community.ASEANsaimistoeconomicgrowth,socialprogress,culturaldevelopment
amongitsmembersandprotectionofregionalpeacestability.TheMotivationsforthebirth
ofASEANweretothecommonfearofcommunism,reducedfaithinormistrustofexternal
powersin1960s.TheASEANCharterenteredintoforceon15December2008.Withthe
entryintoforceoftheASEANCharter,ASEANestablisheditslegalidentityasan
internationalorganizationandtookamajorstepinitscommunitybuildingprocess.
TheASEANCommunityiscomprisedofthreepillars,thePoliticalSecurityCommunity,
EconomicCommunityandSocioCulturalCommunity.ASEANcommandsfargreater
influenceonAsiaPacifictrade,political,andsecurityissuesthanitsmemberscouldachieve
individually.
U.S.relationswithASEANhavebeenexcellentsinceitsinception.TheUnitedStates
becameaDialoguePartnercountryofASEANin1977.Dialoguepartnersmeetregularly
withASEANattheworkingandseniorlevelstoguidethedevelopmentofourregional
relations.
HistoryofASEAN:
ASEANwasprecededbyanorganisationcalledtheAssociationofSoutheastAsia,
commonlycalledASA,anallianceconsistingofthePhilippines,MalaysiaandThailandthat
wasformedin1961.Theblocitself,however,wasestablishedon8August1967,when
foreignministersoffivecountriesIndonesia,Malaysia,thePhilippines,Singapore,and
ThailandmetattheThaiDepartmentofForeignAffairsbuildinginBangkokandsigned
theASEANDeclaration,morecommonlyknownastheBangkokDeclaration.
ThemotivationsforthebirthofASEANweresothatitsmembersgoverningelitecould
concentrateonnationbuilding,thecommonfearofcommunism,reducedfaithinormistrust
ofexternalpowersinthe1960s,andadesireforeconomicdevelopment.
ASEANSummit:
Theorganisationholdsmeetings,knownastheASEANSummit,whereheadsofgovernment
ofeachmembermeettodiscussandresolveregionalissues,aswellastoconductother
meetingswithothercountriesoutsideoftheblocwiththeintentionofpromotingexternal
relations.
TheASEANLeaders'FormalSummitwasfirstheldinBali,Indonesiain1976.Itsthird

meetingwasheldinManilain1987andduringthismeeting,itwasdecidedthattheleaders
wouldmeeteveryfiveyears.Consequently,thefourthmeetingwasheldinSingaporein
1992wheretheleadersagainagreedtomeetmorefrequently,decidingtoholdthesummit
everythreeyears.In2001,itwasdecidedtomeetannuallytoaddressurgentissuesaffecting
theregion.Membernationswereassignedtobethesummithostinalphabeticalorderexcept
inthecaseofBurmawhichdroppedits2006hostingrightsin2004duetopressurefromthe
UnitedStatesandtheEuropeanUnion.
ByDecember2008,theASEANChartercameintoforceandwithit,theASEANSummit
willbeheldtwiceinayear.
AimsandObjectivesofASEAN:
TheaimsandpurposesofASEANare:
1.Toacceleratetheeconomicgrowth,socialprogressandculturaldevelopmentintheregion
throughjointendeavorinthespiritofequalityandpartnershipinordertostrengthenthe
foundationforaprosperousandpeacefulcommunityofSoutheastAsianNations.
2.Topromoteregionalpeaceandstabilitythroughabidingrespectforjusticeandtheruleof
lawintherelationshipamongcountriesoftheregionandadherencetotheprinciplesofthe
UnitedNationsCharter
3.Topromoteactivecollaborationandmutualassistanceonmattersofcommoninterestin
theeconomic,social,culture,technical,scientificandadministrativefields
4.Toprovideassistancetoeachotherintheformoftrainingandresearchfacilitiesinthe
educational,professional,technicalandadministrativespheres
5.Tocollaboratemoreeffectivelyforthegreaterutilizationoftheiragricultureand
industries,theexpansionoftheirtrade,includingthestudyoftheproblemsofinternationals
commoditytrade,theimprovementoftheirtransportationandcommunicationsfacilitiesand
theraisingofthelivingstandardsoftheirpeople
6.TopromoteSouthEastAsianstudiesand
7.Tomaintaincloseandbeneficialcooperationwithexistinginternationalandregional
organizationswithsimilaraimsandpurposes,andexploreallavenuesforevencloser
cooperationamongthemselves.
FUNDAMENTALPRINCIPLES:
Intheirrelationswithoneanother,theASEANmemberstateshaveadoptedthese
fundamentalprinciples:
1.Mutualrespectfortheindependence,sovereignty,equality,territorialintegrity,and
nationalidentityofallnationals
2.Therightofeverystatetoleaditsnationalexistencefreefromexternalinterference,
subversionorcoercion
3.Noninterferenceintheinternalaffairsofoneanother
4.Settlementofdifferencesordisputesbypeacefulmanner
5.Renunciationofthethreatoruseofforceand

6.Effectivecooperationamongthemselves.
ASEANPoliticalSecurityCommunity
ItensuresthatthepeoplesandMemberStatesofASEANliveinpeacewithoneanotherand
withtheworldatlargeinajust,democraticandharmoniousenvironment.Activitiesof
PoliticalSecurityCommunityincludecooperationonbuildingnormsofpeaceandsecurity,
strongrelationshipswithexternalpartners.
ASEANEconomicCommunity
ASEANEconomicCommunity(AEC)istotransformASEANintoaregionwithfree
movementofgoods,services,investment,skilledlabour,andfreerflowofcapital.TheAEC
envisagesasinglemarketandproductionbasemakingASEANmoredynamicand
competitivewithnewmechanisms.
ExternalRelations
AnotheressentialaspectofASEANsactivitiestodayisthedevelopmentofclose
partnershipswithothercountries.Thesimultaneousengagementofmanyimportantcountries
withaninterestinSouthEastAsiaformspartofASEANsstrategytoremaininthedrivers
seatinregionaldevelopmentsensuringthattheregionisstableandprosperous,andfree
fromdominationbyanysingleexternalpower.ThemaininstrumentsofASEANsrelations
withitspartnersarethepromotionofnormsofpeaceandconciliation,andthecreationofa
networkofeconomicagreementsintheregion.
ASEANhasestablishedofficialdialoguerelationswithtenexternalpartnersincluding
Australia,Canada,China,theEuropeanUnion,India,Japan,Korea,NewZealand,Russia,
andtheUSA.
Conclusion:
AssociationofSoutheastAsianNations(ASEAN)isaverywellsettledorganizationto
maintainandsolvedthemattersandissuesofSoutheastNationswhichisitsmember
countries.ItmakestreatywithothernationsregardingtradeandbusinesstowardsSoutheast
AsianCountries.Itprovidesequalopportunitytoallitsmembersrelatedtotradeand
commerce.Itmaintainstheexternalaffairsofitsmembercountriesamongthemselvesand
otherstoobutitdoesnotinterferewithinternalmattersofanyofthemembercountry.
ASEANsummitheldonceintwoyearswhereallthemembercountriesparticipatedand
discussonissuesregardingtorelationswithothernationsandtradeandcommerce.Inthis
meetingmembersalsosolvetheirpersonalissuesandproblems.AfterformationofASEAN
SouthEastAsiancountrieslookhealthyintheirrelationswithothernationsandtradeand
commercebetweenthemselvesandothers.
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References:
AcharyaAmitav,THEASEANREGIONALFORUM:confidencebuilding,Dept.of
ForeignAffairsandInternationalTrade,VerificationResearchProgram,1997
NagiR.,ASEAN(AssociationofSoutheastAsianNations),20years,LancersBooks,1989
GillRanjeet,ASEANtowardsthe21stcentury:athirtyyearreviewoftheAssociationof
SoutheastAsianNations,ASEANAcademicPress,1997
http://www.aseansec.org/lastaccessedon25thOct,2013
http://www.aseanfoundation.org/lastaccessedon25thOct,2013
http://www.asean.org/news/item/aseanvision2020lastaccessedon25thOct,2013
http://www.asean.org/asean/aseanmemberstateslastaccessedon25thOct,2013
http://www.aseanindia.com/about/historylastaccessedon25thOct,2013
http://www.asean.org/asean/aboutasean/overviewlastaccessedon25thOct,2013
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StudentofBALLB(Hons.),NationalLawUniversityandJudicialAcademy,Assam.
Authorcanbereachedatskhadav1592@gmail.comor918474818031.
#http://www.asean.org/asean/aboutasean/overviewaccessedon25thOct,2013
#http://www.asean.org/asean/aboutasean/overviewaccessedon25thOct,2013
Theauthorcanbereachedat:Suresh.Khadav@legalserviceindia.com

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CertificateofExcellenceforOriginal
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Judges