TABLE OF CONTENTS

ASEAN as Regional Organization

Introduction
History..

Basic Information

ASEAN Community
ASEAN Summit
Secretary-general of ASEAN
ASEAN Regional Forum
Ministerial meetings
Aims and Purposes
ASEAN Principles and Goals
ASEAN Charter
Structure of ASEAN

BY: JAVARIA NAFEES

Regional Economics

Introduction
Economic Growth and Development
ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)
The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)
Energy

Food, Agriculture and Forestry

Minerals
Transport
ASEAN Transport Action Plan 2005-2010
TELECOMMUNICATION SECTOR IN ASEAN
Tourism
REGIONAL COOPERATION IN FINANCE

Framework Agreement on the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA)

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN ASEAN ECONOMIC

INTEGRATION
Economic Influence
ASEAN economies past and future
Conclusion

BY:
ZARAFSHAN KUNDI
Regional Politics

Introduction
Diplomatic Relations of ASEAN
Political influence
Treaties and agreements.
Defence and Diplomatic strategies
Conclusion

BY: AMBER NAZ

Regional Socio-cultural Activities

Introduction
Education, Science and Technology Development
Cultural Interaction
Regional Sports Activities
Police Training

Women and Youth

Disaster Management
Conclusion
References

ASEAN as Regional Organization

BY:WHOLEGR
OUP
BASIC INFORMATION:

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a geo-political and economic organization of ten
countries located in Southeast Asia. ASEAN was established on Aug. 8, 1967, in Bangkok of
Thailand, by five countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Brunei joined the group in January 1984, followed by Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Myanmar in
1997 and Cambodia in 1999.
The region has a combined population of about 537 million, which is 8.8% of the world's
population and an area of around 4.5 million square kilometers. The sea area of ASEAN is about
three times larger than its land counterpart.
HISTORY:
ASEAN was preceeded by an organisation called the Association of Southeast Asia, commonly
called ASA, an alliance consisting of the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand that was formed in
1961. The bloc itself, however, was established on 8 August 1967, when foreign ministers of five
countries Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand met at the Thai
Department of Foreign Affairs building in Bangkok and signed the ASEAN Declaration, more
commonly known as the Bangkok Declaration. The five foreign ministers Adam Malik of
Indonesia, Narciso Ramos of the Philippines, Abdul Razak of Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam of
Singapore, and Thanat Khoman of Thailand are considered the organisation's Founding
Fathers.
It was a short, simply-worded document containing just five articles. It declared the
establishment of an Association for Regional Cooperation among the Countries of Southeast Asia
to be known as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and spelled out the aims
and purposes of that Association. These aims and purposes were about cooperation in the
economic, social, cultural, technical, educational and other fields, and in the promotion of
regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law and adherence
to the principles of the United Nations Charter. It stipulated that the Association would be open
for participation by all States in the Southeast Asian region subscribing to its aims, principles and
purposes. It proclaimed ASEAN as representing "the collective will of the nations of Southeast
Asia to bind themselves together in friendship and cooperation and, through joint efforts and
sacrifices, secure for their peoples and for posterity the blessings of peace, freedom and
prosperity."
And that was how ASEAN was conceived, given a name, and born. It had been barely 14 months
since Thanat Khoman brought up the ASEAN idea in his conversations with his Malaysian and
Indonesian colleagues. In about three more weeks, Indonesia would fully restore diplomatic
relations with Malaysia, and soon after that with Singapore. That was by no means the end to
intra-ASEAN disputes, for soon the Philippines and Malaysia would have a falling out on the
issue of sovereignty over Sabah. Many disputes between ASEAN countries persist to this day.
But all Member Countries are deeply committed to resolving their differences through peaceful
means and in the spirit of mutual accommodation. Every dispute would have its proper season
but it would not be allowed to get in the way of the task at hand. And at that time, the essential
task was to lay the framework of regional dialogue and cooperation.

The motivations for the birth of ASEAN were so that its members governing elite could
concentrate on nation building, the common fear of communism, reduced faith in or mistrust of
external powers in the 1960s, and a desire for economic development; not to mention Indonesias
ambition to become a regional hegemon through regional cooperation and the hope on the part of
Malaysia and Singapore to constrain Indonesia and bring it into a more cooperative framework.
ASEAN Community:
In 2003, the ASEAN leaders resolved that an ASEAN Community shall be established
comprising three pillars:
ASEAN Security Community
ASEAN Economic Community which covers the following areas: trade, investment,
industry, services, finance, agriculture, forestry, energy, transportation and
communication, intellectual property, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and
tourism)
ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.
ASEAN Summit:
The ASEAN Summit is an annual meeting held by the member of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations in relation to economic, and cultural development of Southeast Asian countries.
The league of ASEAN is currently connected with other countries who aimed to participate on
the missions and visions of the league. Apparently, the league is conducting an annual meetings
with other countries in an organization collectively known as the ASEAN dialogue partners.
ASEAN +3 adds China, Japan and South Korea. The formal summit are held in three days. The
usual itinerary are as follows:
ASEAN leaders hold an internal organization meeting.
ASEAN leaders hold a conference together with foreign ministers of the ASEAN
Regional Forum.
Leaders of 3 ASEAN Dialogue Partners (also known as ASEAN+3) namely China, Japan
and South Korea hold a meeting with the ASEAN leaders.
And a separate meeting is set for leaders of 2 ASEAN Dialogue Partners (also known as
ASEAN+CER) namely Australia and New Zealand.
Secretary-General of ASEAN : The secretary-general of ASEAN is appointed on merit and
accorded ministerial status. The secretary-general, who has a five-year term, is mandated to
initiate, advise, coordinate and implement ASEAN activities.
In 1992, the ASEAN heads of state and government declared that ASEAN should intensify its
external dialogues in political and security matters as a means of building ties of cooperation
with states in the Asia-Pacific region.

ASEAN Regional Forum: Two years later, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was established
to promote confidence-building, preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution in the region. The
present participants in the ARF are: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, China, the
European Union, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia,
New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore,Thailand, the United
States, and Vietnam.
Ministerial meetings: An ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting is also held on an annual basis.
Ministerial meetings on several other sectors are also held: agriculture and forestry, economics,
energy, environment, finance, information, investment, labor law, rural development and poverty
alleviation,science and technology, social welfare, transnational crime, transportation, tourism
youth, the AIA Council and, the AFTA Council.
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.
PRINCIPLES AND GOALS:

According to the group's guiding document, the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast
Asia (TAC), there are six fundamental principles members adhere to:
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.
6) Effective cooperation among themselves.
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.
STRUCTURE
There are a number of decision-making bodies that comprise ASEAN, spanning from
international to the very local. The most important are listed below:
Meeting of the ASEAN Heads of State and Government: The highest body made up of the
heads of each respective government; meets annually.
Ministerial Meetings: Coordinates activities in many areas including agriculture and forestry,
trade, energy, transportation, science and technology, among others; meets annually.
Committees for External Relations: Made up of diplomats in many of the world's major
capitals.

Secretary-General: The appointed leader of the organization empowered to implement policies

and activities; appointed to five year term. Currently Surin Pitsuwan of Thailand.
Not mentioned above are over 25 other committees and 120 technical and advisory groups.

REGIONAL ECONOMICS
(BY:JAVARIA NAFEES)
INTRODUCTION:
In this day and age, nations are discovering that they can get much more done economically
when they form blocks that share regional interests. That's why the European Union and OPEC
exist. There are blocks in South America and in Africa as well, so it was only natural that the
countries of Southeast Asia, who have so much in common when it comes to their economies,
cultures, and climates, would do the same.
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, is arguably the most durable
and successful regional grouping in the developing world. Established in 1967, it has contributed
greatly to regional harmony and prosperity. ASEAN is characterized by great internal diversity,
generally high economic growth, and a reluctance to establish a strong supranational structure.
Beginning in 1976with its five original membersASEAN began to move toward economic
cooperation and integration, initially with a focus on merchandise trade. In the 1990s, it added
focus on services, investment, and labor. And in the past decadenow including all of Southeast
AsiaASEAN broadened cooperation on macroeconomic and financial issues, many of these
together with its Northeast Asian neighborsthe "Plus 3" of the People's Republic of China,
Japan, and the Republic of Korea. Members adopted what may appear to be formal preferential
trade arrangements. But in practice these are usually multilateralized. ASEAN informally
embraces what is sometimes termed "open regionalism." However, there is little likelihood in the
foreseeable future that this will evolve into a deep EU-style economic integration behind a
common external trade regime, despite a commitment to forming an ASEAN Economic
Community beginning 2015.

ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

\

ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)

The regional grouping has made the most progress in economic integration by creating an
ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015.The average economic growths of ASEAN's

member nations during 19892009 was Singapore with 6.73 percent, Malaysia with 6.15 percent,
Indonesia with 5.16 percent, Thailand with 5.02 percent, and the Philippines with 3.79 percent.
This economic growth was greater than the average Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
economic growth, which was 2.83 percent.
Economic Community (AEC) with main objectives are to create a:

single market and production base

highly competitive economic region

region of equitable economic development

region fully integrated into the global economy

The AEC areas of cooperation include: human resources development and capacity building;
recognition of professional qualifications; closer consultation on macroeconomic and financial
policies; trade financing measures; enhanced infrastructure and communications connectivity;
development of electronic transactions through ASEAN; integrating industries across the region
to promote regional sourcing; and enhancing private sector involvement for the building of the
AEC. In short, the AEC will transform ASEAN into a region with free movement of goods,
services, investment, skilled labour, and freer flow of capital.

The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)

The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) has now been virtually established. ASEAN Member
Countries have made significant progress in the lowering of intra-regional tariffs through the
Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) Scheme for AFTA. More than 99 percent of the
products in the CEPT Inclusion List (IL) of ASEAN-6, comprising Brunei Darussalam,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, have been brought down to the 0-5
percent tariff range.
Following the signing of the Protocol to Amend the CEPT-AFTA Agreement for the Elimination
of Import Duties on 30 January 2003, ASEAN-6 has committed to eliminate tariffs on 60 percent
of their products in the IL by the year 2003. As of this date, tariffs on 64.12 percent of the
products in the IL of ASEAN-6 have been eliminated. The average tariff for ASEAN-6 under the
CEPT Scheme is now down to 1.51 percent from 12.76 percent when the tariff cutting exercise
started in 1993.
Free Trade Agreements with Other Countries
ASEAN has concluded free trade agreements with China (expecting bilateral trade of
$500 billion by 2015), Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and most recently India. The
agreement with People's Republic of China created the ASEANChina Free Trade Area
(ACFTA), which went into full effect on 1 January 2010. In addition, ASEAN is currently
negotiating a free trade agreement with the European Union. Republic of China (Taiwan) has
also expressed interest in an agreement with ASEAN but needs to overcome diplomatic
objections from China.

ENERGY

The ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM), held in Langkawi in July 2003, called for
intensified cooperation in the development and exploitation of the energy resource potentials in
the ASEAN region, as well as in attracting private sector participation and investment in the
ASEAN energy sector.
Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline: The Ministers agreed to work collectively in moving forward
(TAGP) and the ASEAN Power Grid Projects to provide greater stability and security of energy
the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline supply in the ASEAN region.
ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF): The Ministers also agreed to enhance the ASEAN
Energy Business Forum (AEBF) as an important platform for facilitating business interaction,
technology exchange and project financing opportunities between ASEAN energy authorities and
the private sector.
The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE): It continued to serve a key role in the facilitation of
regional energy programmes and activities. ACE facilitated cooperation between ASEAN and its
partner countries (e.g. EU, Germany, Japan, Australia and Switzerland) and international
organisations (e.g. UNESCAP, IEA, etc.). Through the ACE, ASEAN was represented as an
observer organisation in the Brussels-based Energy Charter Conference held in December 2003.

FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

Agriculture is an important backbone for the agri-food industries of ASEAN member countries.
In the ASEAN context, agriculture includes crops, livestock and fisheries sectors. ASEAN
cooperation in agriculture dates back as early as 1968. It is guided by the previous declarations,
agreements, statements, and action plans made at previous ASEAN summits and meetings of
ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF).
The Ministerial Understanding on ASEAN Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and Forestry, which
was adopted by AMAF on 30 October 1993 in Bandar Seri Begawan, identified seven priority
areas of cooperation, namely:
Strengthening food security in the region;
Facilitation and promotion of intra- and extra-ASEAN trade in agriculture
and forestry products;
Generation and transfer of technology to increase productivity and develop
agribusiness and silvo-business;
Agricultural rural community and human resource development;
Private sector involvement and investment;
Management and conservation of natural resources for sustainable
development; and
Strengthening ASEAN cooperation and joint approaches in addressing
international and regional issues.

MINERALS

ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Minerals was established in 2005 which Meets at least once in
three years and its last Meeting was held in Inaugural AMMin, Kuching, Malaysia, 4 August
2005.
ASEAN mineral ministers meet in Hanoi to promote ties
HANOI (Xinhua) - The 3rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Minerals (AMMIN 3) was
convened during 2011-2015 and related issues, reported Vietnam News Agency.
Vietnam encourages investment projects in minerals, and is ready to exchange experience in
management, exploitation and using of minerals with other ASEAN member countries so as to
tap the mineral resources effectively for the socio-economic development, addressed Deputy
Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai.
Vietnam supports the building of policies on trade and investment in minerals applied to ASEAN
member countries, to effectively implement the AMCAP during 2011-2015, Hai stressed.
The objective of ASEAN MINERALS COOPERATION ACTION PLAN (AMCAP) during
2011-2015 is to further boost the driving force of ASEAN minerals sector, with initiatives to
expand trade and investment, cooperation and capability for minerals sustainable development,
and for common prosperity of the whole community.
At AMMIN 3, participants approved strategies and plan of actions, including establishment of a
mechanism to share information about minerals policies, and provision of favorable conditions
for trade and investment in the field.
They agreed that the ASEAN minerals trust fund would grant financial support to projects and
activities of the approved AMCAP 2011-2015 so as to boost minerals sustainable connectivity
among ASEAN member countries.
Participants also reviewed the "Hanoi Declaration" on minerals sustainable development for the
common prosperity of ASEAN bloc, and agreed that AMMIN 4 will be held in Indonesia.

TRANSPORT

It is viewed that trade is not possible without transport. An efficiently managed transport system
is a prerequisite for the competitiveness of goods. By effectively enhancing the physical means
of transport in the ASEAN region, intra-regional trade and investment will be likely facilitated
greatly.
ASEAN Transport Action Plan 2005-2010
The key role of the transport network is to assist in the production, consumption and distribution
- or the supply chain - of goods and services. The ability to trade is absolutely vital to the
economy of ASEAN. This means that goods must be produced and delivered to the market (or
customer) in the right quantity, required quality, at the right time and at a competitive price. High
logistics cost is often the result of poor transport infrastructure, underdeveloped transport and
logistics services and slow and costly bureaucratic procedures in freight transportation. Shipping
logistics within ASEAN are relatively efficient shipping between ASEAN ports takes a similar
amount of time per kilometer compared to better integrated markets, such as the European
Union. However, the issue around logistics concerns the lack of quality road transport to ports,

poor port infrastructure and sub-optimal shipping networks that add to overall transport costs.
Sub-optimal shipping networks are another cause for concern. The transport issues raised above
bind together to form an intractable problem: entry barriers and high operating costs discourage
logistics companies from serving the region as a whole. The absence of regional logistics players
in turn perpetuates fragmented transport systems.

TELECOMMUNICATION SECTOR IN ASEAN

ASEAN economic integration has significantly affected telecommunication sector in each and
every country. Although the impact on any particular country is different, there are two trends of
how the economic regionalism affects ASEAN countries can be seen obviously. First, due to
economic integration, ASEAN members open its door to foreign investors and therefore there
has been a strong inflow of foreign investments into telecommunication sector in ASEAN
countries. Second, privatization in telecommunication sector has been adopted by all countries in
the region. These two trends have made the telecommunication market in Southeast Asia more
dynamic and competitive than ever before, and all countries have thus far benefited from it.
Indonesia has a very active mobile market, which was growing 60% in 2007; the subscribers also
reached a record of 75 million (penetration 33%). Malaysia was even better when its mobile
market saw penetration pass the 85% mark in the first half of 2007. Like Indonesia and Malaysia,
the Philippines has also witnessed a rapid growth in telecommunication sector. The countrys
mobile penetration passed 50% in 2007 with the on-going annual growth rate of over 26%.
Singapore is arguably the country which benefits the most from economic integration. Singapore
was one of the first countries in the world to have a fully digital telephone network. Economic
integration has allowed Singapore to enter neighbor markets. SingTel is a major
telecommunication investor in many countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.
Thailand is no exception for gaining from ASEAN economic integration. By early 2007, the
countrys mobile penetration peaked at 67% and the annual subscriber growth had lifted to 35%.
ASEAN efforts to promote regional integration of telecommunication sector
Over the last decade, through the annual Chairmanship of the ASEAN Telecommunications
Ministers Meeting (TELMIN) and the ASEAN Telecommunications Senior Officials Meeting
(TELSOM), ASEAN has played a key role in:
a) Developing, coordinating and implementing work plans to enhance cooperation in
telecommunications and IT
b) Providing a mechanism to promote participation from the private or business sector,
regional/international organizations and non-governmental organizations; and
c) Establishing working groups with clear terms of reference and specific time frames.

Tourism

As one of priority sectors for ASEAN integration, ASEAN tourism performed an outstanding
growth in 2010 with total international arrivals of more than 73 million and increase of 11 per
cent compared to 2009. Intra-ASEAN travel was the major source market for the region with
share of 47 per cent in 2010.Acknowledging the importance of tourism as an economic engine

and a tool for development and change in the region, the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP)
2011-2015 was endorsed by the ASEAN Tourism Ministers at their 14th Meeting as the
successor of the Roadmap for Integration of Tourism Sector (RITS) which was completed in
2010.This ATSP will contribute to the overall goals of the ASEAN Community by 2015 through
promotion of growth, integration and competitiveness of the tourism sector and at the same time
deepen social and cultural understanding as well as facilitating travel into and within ASEAN.

REGIONAL COOPERATION IN FINANCE

ASEAN economies are now recovering from the global financial crisis, due to the effective
economic stimulus measures that the various ASEAN governments have implemented to support
domestic demand, restore market confidence and stabilize financial markets. As a result, ASEAN
grew by 1.5 percent in 2009 and is expected to grow further by 4.9-5.6 percent in 2010. Going
forward, the challenge for ASEAN is to sustain the economic recovery by implementing
appropriate monetary and fiscal policies and strengthening the various reform measures that have
been in place since the Asian financial crisis in 1997/98.
At the 14th ASEAN Finance Ministers Meeting (AFMM) in Nha Trang, Viet Nam, in April 2010,
the Ministers committed themselves to further promote financial stability in the region. Despite
the regions dynamism, robust financial system and strong economic frameworks, the Ministers
agreed to remain vigilant against the uncertainties in major advanced economies and committed
to maintain growth momentum in order to achieve a stable, efficient and resilient financial
system in the region. The Ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to implement policies that
favour strong and sustainable growth as well as promote domestic demand, boost productivity
and enhance the integration of ASEANs markets.

Framework Agreement on the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA)

The goal of the ASEAN Economic Community is to establish ASEAN as a single market and
production base that will make ASEAN more dynamic and competitive. In this context, one of
the five core elements of an ASEAN single market and production base is the free flow of
investments. A free and open investment regime is key to enhancing ASEANs competitiveness
and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as intra-ASEAN investment. Sustained
inflows of investments will promote and ensure the dynamic development of ASEAN.
The Framework Agreement on the ASEAN Investment Area was signed on 8th October 1998
aiming at the establishment of "the ASEAN Investment Area". This was a result of the decision
made in the fifth ASEAN Summit, which called for the establishment of a regional investment
arrangement to enhance the attractiveness of the region for direct investment flows. The
establishment of AIA also pursues the objective of the Framework Agreement on Enhancing
ASEAN Economic Co-operation or it is known as the Agreement on ASEAN Free Trade Area
signed in Singapore on 28th January 1992
The objective of the Framework Agreement on AIA is to establish a competitive ASEAN
Investment Area in order to "attract greater and sustainable levels of FDI into the region and to
realise substantially increasing flows of FDI from both ASEAN and non-ASEAN sources by
making ASEAN an attractive, competitive, open and liberal investment area". The agreement
binds the member countries to "progressively reduce or eliminate investment regulations and

conditions, which may impede investment flows and the operation of investment projects in
ASEAN" and to ensure the implementation of AIA within the agreed time frame.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN ASEAN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

ASEAN Vision 2020

The ASEAN Heads of States and Government have promulgated the ASEAN Vision
2020 charting a new direction for ASEAN through the turn of the century towards the year
2020. That vision is of an outward and forward looking ASEAN, living in peace, stability
and prosperity, bonded together in partnership in dynamic development and in a community
of caring societies.
Hanoi Plan of Action (HPA)
To realize the ASEAN vision, the Hanoi Plan of Action (HPA) was adopted by the ASEAN
Heads of States and Government in Hanoi in December 1998. The HPA is the first in a
series of plans of action aimed at operationalizing the vision. The HPA lays down specific
steps and measures to be taken during the years 1999-2004 in order to strengthen
macroeconomic and financial cooperation, advance economic integration and promote
social, science & technology and information technology infrastructure as well as human
resources development.
Taken together, these two major accords represent ASEAN countries resolve to look
beyond the immediate economic and financial challenges and regain the momentum of
growth and prosperity.
Statement of Bold Measures
Recognizing the immediate need to quickly regain business confidence and hasten recovery
from the regional contagion that hit many East Asia countries, the ASEAN Leaders issued
the Statement of Bold Measures in December 1998 containing concrete measures further
liberalizing and integrating ASEAN economies.
ECONOMIC INFLUENCE
ASEAN has a combined gross domestic product of 737 billion US dollars and a total trade
volume of 720 billion dollars. In 2010, its combined nominal GDP had grown to
US$1.8 trillion. If ASEAN were a single entity, it would rank as the ninth largest economy
in the world, behind the United States, China, Japan, Germany, France, Brazil, the United
Kingdom, and Italy.

ASEAN economies past and future

Many experts have forecast promising economic growth from member states of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). And there are several reasons for such
expectations, including the regions advantageous location, global security, the global

economy and its policies over the last two decades.

The most important reason for this is the location advantage of the region, which connects
two economic giants, China and India, as well as the Middle East and Western nations.
The second most important factor is global security in the past and in the future. The
formation of Singapore by Thomas Raffles and the cooperation between the British and
Dutch in the early 19th century after the Napoleonic Wars in Europe provided security for
an economic connection between some Southeast Asian countries and the rest of the world.
Another important factor is the global economy and its policies. In the past, before Arabs
and Western influenced Indonesia, or when India and China became the poles of the global
economy, the region was known as the busy road, which allowed nations on both sides of
the Malacca Strait and Java to enjoy a golden age of trade growth.
Economic policy is another important factor in the future of this region. There are at least three
institutions helping this region remain on the right track in international trade relations
ASEAN, APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) and the WTO (World Trade Organization).
Despite many criticisms, especially during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s and during
the global financial crisis of 2008, these institutions have helped the world, particularly ASEAN,
face the challenges.
During this period, the world economy grew by a positive 2.69 percent. APEC economies growth
during the same period was 2.83 percent. In comparison economic growth of main APEC
economic powers like Japan was 1.31 percent, the US 2.52 percent and China 9.98 percent.
ASEAN countries have a better choice in keeping their relations closer to each other. This
strategy will give a better power because unilateral action will weaken individual nations in the
face of great powers. As small open economies, ASEAN countries should be very responsive to
the global events that build relations with the great economic and political powers.
CONCLUSION:
Therefore I suggest that to deal with the effect of an adverse international financial shock,
individual authorities in emerging ASEAN economies should opt for policies which provide
longer-term structural adjustment to their economy. To this end, emerging ASEAN authorities
should support the current efforts to restructure the global financial system in order to reduce
future risks of more volatility. In addition, the similar pattern of effects on emerging ASEAN
countries highlights the need for enhanced policy coordination and cooperation among these
countries to better deal with such disturbances.

REGIONAL POLITICS
(BY ZARAFSHAN KUNDI)
INTRODUCTION:

The Bangkok Declaration, which established ASEAN in 1967, stated that the alms and
purposes of the Association should be (a) to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and
cultural development in the region through Joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and
partnership; (b) to promote regional peace and stability; and (c) to maintain close and beneficial
cooperation with existing international and regional organizations with similar alms and
purposes. The Sixth ASEAN Summit, held in Hanoi in December 1998, reaffirmed these goals
and resolved to "move ASEAN onto a higher plane of regional cooperation in order to strengthen
ASEAN's effectiveness in dealing with the challenges of growing inter-dependence within
ASEAN and of its integration into the global economy."
The 1971 Declaration on the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality constituted ASEAN's first
collective expression of its political goals and direction. The First ASEAN Summit in 1976
adopted the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia and the Declaration of
ASEAN Concord. The TAC binds the contracting parties to certain fundamental principles in
their relations with one another: (a) mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality,
territorial integrity and national identity of all nations; (b) the right of every state to lead its
national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion; (c) non-interference in
the internal affairs of one another; (d) settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful means;
(e) renunciation of threat or use of force; and (d) effective cooperation among themselves. The
ASEAN Concord elaborated on this last principle by providing a framework for ASEAN
cooperation in the political, principle economic, social, and cultural and security aspects.
The establishment of the ASEAN Regional Forum in 1994 is a historic event for the Asia-Pacific.
The ARF is the first and only Asia-Pacific forum for political and security dialogue and
cooperation. It is now composed of all ASEAN member countries plus Australia, Canada, China,
the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua New
Guinea, the Russian Federation, and the United States.
The most important recent development was the formulation of the ASEAN Vision 2020 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." In December 1998, the ASEAN leaders adopted the Hanoi Plan of Action, which
contained a set of specific measures and activities to implement the Vision. These two documents
were agreed upon in the middle of the most serious economic and financial crisis that had hit the
region. They demonstrated the ASEAN leaders' ability and resolve to provide long-ten-n
direction for the region while addressing the immediate implications of the crisis.

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS OF ASEAN:

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an alliance promoting economic and
political cooperation by fostering dialogue among its ten members: Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Besides an important multilateral organization in Asia, ASEAN is also becoming a major

economic powerhouse in the region having enacted free trade agreements (FTA) with China,
Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, and Korea. However, ASEAN still faces distinct
challenges: Member nations continue to vie over maritime sovereignty, and ASEAN's policy of
non-intervention in the domestic affairs of member states has attracted considerable international
criticism in the wake of Myanmar's human rights crisis.
ASEAN has proved a vital and welcoming partner in Asia for the United States as it moves to
secure economic interests in a shifting global framework. Anxiety over Chinese economic and
military expansion has also motivated the United States to deepen engagement with multilateral
institutions to secure U.S. influence in the region. In recent years, Washington has strengthened
economic and security ties with ASEAN by joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation,
participating in ASEAN summits, and formally establishing a U.S.-ASEAN annual summit
ASEAN was formed in the midst of the Vietnam War in 1967, uniting Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand against the potential threat of communist-led insurgency. It
was intended as a security community, promoting social and political stability during a turbulent
time, says CFR Senior Fellow Sheila A. Smith. In addition to preventing intraregional flare-ups,
ASEAN provided a way for the countries to create "a voice for themselves in the broader Cold
War arena so the Southeast Asian area would speak as one on particular issues," she says. To that
end, in 1971 ASEAN signed a declaration that Southeast Asia was a Zone of Peace, Freedom,
and Neutrality. The resolution was intended as a statement that ASEAN countries refused to be
included in Cold War dividing lines, says Sheldon Simon, a professor of political science at
Arizona State University.
The end of the Cold War left ASEAN "searching for a new organizing principle for security,"
POLITICAL INFLUENCE:
Some western analysts argue that, if East Asia is economically vigorous, it is also politically
fragile.
And it is true there is still no regional status quo to which every regional power subscribes.
In China, North Korea, Myanmar, and Indonesia, the military possesses a great deal of political
power.
And open markets, interregional trade and economic growth have barely papered over historical
grievances, irredentist claims, and quarrels over geopolitical resources.
Ballistic missiles are being built competitively on the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan straits.
North Korea may have already developed the capability to target Alaska and the American west
coast with its missiles; it has proved it can easily reach the vulnerable Japanese mainland.
South Korea is negotiating with the United States the lengthening of the reach of its own missile
systems, and Japan has agreed to take part in an American proposal for the coverage of its
heartland by a theater-missile-defense system. Japan is also launching its own spy satellites - to
give it independently early warning of any potential missile threat.
On the other hand, Taiwan is apparently contemplating its own missile defense system - against
what it sees as chinas growing capability is cruise-missile technology.
Within ASEAN, pockets of grave poverty pose a threat to stability. Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos
are among the worlds poorest countries; they must be helped to ingrate themselves into

ASEANs economic mainstream. Development schemes that ASEAN is already packaging -such
as the Mekong river project and the Singapore-Kunming rail link - will stimulate growth in these
countries. But they will need a lot of capital, technology and years to harvest significant benefits.
In Myanmar, the ruling generals and their civilian opposition have reached a stalemate, which
neither side is willing to break. In Indonesia - ASEANs key country - a weak and tentative
quasi-democratic state is beset by threats of balkanization.
Most unsettling of all is a resurgent Chinas effort to project power beyond mainland East Asia where its strategic authority is already widely accepted -to the continents maritime regions particularly into the South China Sea, which East Asia has long regarded as its maritime
heartland.
The ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) is the highest defense mechanism within
ASEAN. The annual ADMM facilitates the ASEAN defense ministers to discuss and exchange
views on current defense and security issues and challenges faced in the region. The ADMM
aims to promote mutual trust and confidence through greater understanding of defense and
security challenges as well as enhancement of transparency and openness.
To guide the ADMM cooperation, the Three-Year ADMM Work Programmed (2008-2010) was
adopted at the 2nd ADMM in Singapore in 2007. The Work Programmed (2008-2010) included
measures and activities in five areas, namely 1) promoting regional defense and security
cooperation; 2) shaping and sharing of norms; 3) conflict prevention; 4) conflict resolution; 5)
post-conflict peace building.
With the completion of the first term in 2010, the 5th ADMM adopted the new ADMM ThreeYear Work Programmed (2011-2013), which focuses on measures and activities in four areas,
namely 1) strengthening regional defense and security cooperation; 2) enhancing existing
practical cooperation and developing possible cooperation in defense and security; 3) promoting
enhanced ties with Dialogue Partners; 4) shaping and sharing of norms.
Cooperation in the ASEAN defense sector has grown steadily since its inception in 2006.
Cooperation in the issue of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief has been progressing
significantly in the ADMM. The ASEAN Defense Ministers have adopted concept papers to
advance the ADMM cooperation in this area, including the Concept Paper on the Use of ASEAN
Military Assets and Capacities in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and the
Concept Paper on Defense Establishments and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Cooperation
on Non-Traditional Security.
The ADMM has also conducted the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief Table-Top
Exercise (AHX), co-organized by Indonesia and Singapore, and a Table-Top Exercise in HADR
under the framework of the Third Workshop of the ASEAN Defense Establishments and CSOs
Cooperation in Non-Traditional Security hosted by Thailand in 2011.
In an effort to strengthen regional defense and security cooperation, the 5th ADMM adopted the
Concept Paper on the Establishment of ASEAN Defense Industry Collaboration (ADIC) and the
Concept Paper on the Establishment of ASEAN Peacekeeping Centers Network.
The ADMM continues to exchange views on addressing non-traditional security challenges and
discusses the need to strengthen and take more practical steps in defense cooperation in order to
make further contribution to regional peace and stability. The ADMM also reiterated its
commitment to increase interactions at all levels and build a strong foundation to support the

establishment of the ASEAN Community as indicated in the ASEAN Political-Security

Community (APSC) Blueprint.
TREATIES AND AGREEMANTS OF ASEAN:
(SEE ANNEXURE 1)
DEFENCE AND DIPLOMATIC STRATIGIES
Much has been made over the last decade concerning the rise of Asia led by China and India
and the continents increasingly important role. The announcement by U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton last year that the 21st century would be Americas Pacific Century further
strengthened the belief that the epicenter of 21st century global politics would be located within
Asia. And, as has been well-documented, ongoing economic turmoil has also led to growing
numbers of Western countries looking at Asia particularly China for financial assistance. In
light of various leadership transitions taking place later this year among the major powers, one
can expect conditions in Asia to factor significantly in the political discourse of their leaders.
What does Asias increasing prominence mean for ASEAN a ten-member political community
whose regional presence has received growing attention from the global community of late?
Already Washington has embarked on its forward-deployed diplomacy strategy in the region as
evinced by Clintons attendance at last years ASEAN Regional Forum and her landmark visit to
Burma in December. The United States recent conduct of separate high level meetings with both
the Philippines and Singapore over defense and security issues suggests that ASEAN will be a
strategic region as far as Washingtons military strategies are involved. In a recent interview on
CNN, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, for his part, noted that the U.S. presence in
the region since World War II has been a tremendous benign influence and that it was a good
example for the Chinese to seek to emulate.
Beijing, meanwhile, has also embarked on its own charm offensive, putting its money where its
mouth is. By matching its political rhetoric with material resources, China has increasingly built
its reputation as a credible long-term stake holder within the region. In addition to the ASEANChina Free Trade, the Chinese government also reportedly proposed a fund of $10 billion for
infrastructure projects, along with a $15 billion loan for other developmental projects in the
region over the next three to five years. Indeed, Beijings ability to maintain its stellar economic
performance despite the global economic downturn has also prompted analysts to suggest that
China could emerge as an independent source of demand the potential of the Chinese consumer
to replace, at least partially, the consumption lost in the West has been much discussed.
The need to straddle both Washingtons and Beijings interests isnt lost on ASEAN countries, as
noted by Singaporean Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam, who suggested the U.S. needed to avoid
anti-Chinese rhetoric in domestic debates while on his visit to Washington earlier this month.
Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh, in a recent interview, explained the ASEAN strategy
as [bringing] the major powers (particularly the U.S. and China) together and embed [ding]
them in a cooperative frameworkthereby [reducing] the deficit of trust. With the newly
revamped East Asia Summit hogging the regional limelight of late, some scholars have also
described the need for ASEAN to lead the EAS in such a way as to make it acceptable to
Beijing as well as relevant to Washington.

One way this is currently being achieved is the stress on ASEAN centrality the notion of an
ASEAN-led regional architecture in which the regions relations with the wider world are
conducted with the interest of the ASEAN community in mind. Over the years, this strategys
usefulness has been demonstrated at the EAS, a forum whose agenda and membership are
determined solely by ASEAN members. The inclusion of the U.S. and Russia into the meeting
last year suggests that greater attention is accorded to the ASEAN political theatre. Last years
ASEAN Regional Forum also witnessed ASEAN countries engaging in a wide range of issues
from territorial disputes in the South China Sea to North Koreas nuclear weapons program.
According to ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan, speaking in an interview last year, the
fact that the world is interested in ASEANs forums and Aseans stage [means] that we have
delivered, it means we have served the purpose and that there are values in our stewardship of
this architecture of cooperation [in East Asia].
Nevertheless, theres a danger of overstretching the usefulness and effectiveness of such an
approach, especially if ASEAN states start to adopt an inward-looking, its all about ASEAN
mentality.
Paradoxically speaking, ASEANs ascension to global prominence came about as a result of
ASEAN countries willingness to open themselves up to the wider global community of nations.
In other words, ASEAN centrality was made possible because individual ASEAN countries
chose to align their fortunes with the rest of the world, and in doing so, created the collective
success of the ASEAN community.
In light of the increasingly complex and multifaceted nature of global challenges, the tendency
and temptation for ASEAN to look inwards and close in on herself will grow. Anxieties over big
power relations and the uncertainties of how these interactions could play out may lead ASEAN
member states to disengage from global challenges and instead develop parochial and isolationist
tendencies. Such an outcome would be unfortunate for ASEAN, and would paralyze the region
whose very growth was founded upon a diverse and dynamic relationship its member states have
with the wider world.
Already, the first two months of 2012 have witnessed the emergence of several political
narratives that could define global matters for the rest of the year. Events such as the ongoing
Syrian crisis, the Greece financial impasse and Irans defiance of international sanctions will test
the resourcefulness and resolve of the community in articulating a proper response. Inevitably,
ASEAN will be drawn into the picture. The question is the extent to which it will be able to
maintain its global engagement while at the same time keeping its own house in order. This will
be a critical test of its readiness and relevance as a regional stakeholder.
CONCLUSION:
This study has examined the characteristics of developing East Asian regional cooperation in the
areas of trade and finance from the viewpoint of the three facilitating political elements toward
regional institution building derived from the European experience. The first political element
was the level at which governments are willing to compromise sovereignty and political
autonomy for the sake of regional cooperation. The second is the progress in creating

mechanisms through which the losers and the weak within a country or region can be
compensated. The third element was the clear definition of which members can benefit from
such mechanisms. These three elements are useful in propelling progress in furthering regional
cooperation and institution building because they remove resistance and obstacles against
functional spillovers. Nevertheless, this study has examined the importance of those three
elements in facilitating or hindering the progression of the region. It will be essential in the
future to expand this analysis into regional cooperation and integration in areas other than trade
and finance (such as regional environment, public health and transnational crimes of drug or
human trafficking) to make the assertion more robust in the face of empirical analysis.

OTHER REGIONAL SOCIO-CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

(BY: AMBER NAZ)
INTRODUCTION:
ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) contribute to realizing an ASEAN Community that
is people-centered and socially responsible with a view to achieving enduring solidarity and
unity among the nations 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. Many regional Socio-cultural Activities are held there.
ASEAN will enhance the well-being and livelihood of the peoples of ASEAN by providing them
with equitable access to human development opportunities by promoting and investing in
education and life-long learning, human resource training and capacity building, encourage
innovation and entrepreneurship, promote the use of English language, ICT and applied science
and technology in socio-economic development activities. Increasing the participation of women,
youth, elderly, persons with disabilities, vulnerable and marginalized groups in the productive
workforce by enhancing their entrepreneurial skills, particularly to improve their social wellbeing and contribute towards national development and regional economic integration.

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT:

Education underpins ASEAN community building. Education lies at the core of ASEANs
development process, creating a knowledge-based society and contributing to the enhancement
of ASEAN competitiveness. ASEAN also views education as the vehicle to raise ASEAN
awareness, inspire the we feeling, and create a sense of belonging to the ASEAN Community
and understanding of the richness of ASEANs history, languages, culture and common values.
At the 11th Summit in December 2005, ASEAN Leaders set new directions for regional
education collaboration when they welcomed the decision of the ASEAN Education Ministers to
convene the ASEAN Education Ministers Meetings (ASED) on a regular basis. The Leaders
also called for ASEAN Education Ministers to focus on enhancing regional cooperation in

education.
ASEAN cooperation on education is overseen at the Ministerial level by an ASEAN Education
Ministers Meeting which meets annually and the implementation of the programs and
activities for education matters is carried out by the ASEAN Senior Officials on Education
(SOM-ED), which reports to the ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting. SOM-ED also oversees
cooperation on higher education, which is coordinated by the ASEAN University Network
(AUN). The AUN was established to serve as an ASEAN mechanism to
i.

Promote cooperation among ASEAN scholars, academicians, and scientists in the

region

ii.

Develop academic and professional human resource in the region

iii.

Promote information dissemination among the ASEAN academic community

iv. Enhance the awareness of regional identity and the sense of ASEANESS among
members.

Science, technology and innovation can be powerful determinants and enablers of economic
development, educational programmers and protection of the environment. This view is shared
by the ASEAN Leaders who have recognized science and technology (S&T) as a key factor in
sustaining economic growth, enhancing community well-being and promoting integration in
ASEAN. The Leaders have envisioned that by 2020 that ASEAN will be technology competitive,
competent in strategic and enabling technologies, with an adequate pool of technologically
qualified and trained manpower, and strong networks of scientific and technological institution
and
centers
of
excellence.
The current S&T cooperation in ASEAN focuses on nine program areas, namely (i) food science
and technology (ii) biotechnology, (iii) meteorology and geophysics, (iv) marine science and
technology, (v) non-conventional energy research, (vi) microelectronics and information
technology, (vii) material science and technology, (viii) space technology and applications, and
(ix) S&T infrastructure and resources development. To coordinate and implement activities in
each area, a Sub-Committee is established.
CULTURAL INTERACTION:
One of the main bodies in ASEAN cooperation in culture is the ASEAN Committee on Culture
and Information (COCI). Established in 1978, its mission is to promote effective cooperation in
the fields of culture through its various projects and activities. The COCI comprises
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
fulfill their mission.
Activities in the area of culture include the conservation and preservation of cultural heritage,
promotion and cooperation on cultural industry and the production of cultural showcases. To cite
some examples, 2009 saw the production of the coffee table book Water: A Unifying Force in
ASEAN, a workshop that gathered experts from the region to discuss the prevention of illicit

transfer and illegal trafficking of cultural properties, a symposium involving ASEAN Museum
Directors and their engagement with the community, and the 3rd Best of ASEAN Performing
Arts series (Singapore production) to raise ASEAN awareness about the regions rich and diverse
cultures.
REGIONAL SPORTS ACTIVITIES:
The ASEAN Para Games is a biannual multi-sport event held after every Southeast Asian
Games for ASEAN athletes with physical disabilities. The games are participated by the 11
countries located in Southeast. The Para Games, patterned after the Paralympics Games, are
played by physically challenged athletes with mobility disabilities, visual disabilities, who
are amputees and those with cerebral palsy.
The ASEAN Para Games is under the regulation of the ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF).
The games are hosted by the same country where the SEA Games took place.
The 1st ASEAN Para Games- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from October 2530, 2001, was
the initial major sports event of the ASEAN Para Sports Federation (APSF).
2nd ASEAN Para Games - Hanoi, Vietnam from December 1927, 2003.
Timor Leste was formally included in the Games increasing its member countries to
eleven
3rd ASEAN Para Games - Manila, Philippines from December 1420, 2005.
Sailing introduced as a demo sport.
Wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis was played for the first time
4th ASEAN Para Games - Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from January 2026, 2008.
The Paralympics shooting event was a full medal sport.
5th ASEAN Para Games- originally scheduled for Laos, was instead held in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia from August 1519, 2009.
6th ASEAN Para Games -Solo, Indonesia in 2011
7th ASEAN Para Games -will be scheduled in Naypyidaw, Myanmar in2013.
8th ASEAN Para Games- are scheduled in Singapore in 2015.

POLICE TRAINING:
With the completion of the first term in 2010, the 5th ADMM adopted the new ADMM ThreeYear Work Program (2011-2013), which focuses on measures and activities in four areas, namely
1) strengthening regional defense and security cooperation; 2) enhancing existing practical
cooperation and developing possible cooperation in defense and security; 3) promoting enhanced
ties with Dialogue Partners; 4) shaping and sharing of norms.

Implementation of the initiative of the Vietnamese Peoples Police Force at the 29 th ASEAN
Chiefs of Police Meeting (ASEANAPOL) held in Hanoi in May 2009, under the consent of
leadership of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security, the Peoples Police Academy in
cooperation with the Vietnams Interpol Office and authorized agencies under the Ministry of
Public Security, on December 8th, 2010 in Hanoi, held the 1st ASEANAPOL police training
cooperation meeting with the theme "Police training cooperation before an increase of nontraditional crimes in the ASEAN region."
At the meeting, delegates introduced and discussed their police training methods; share their
experiences, achievements of training Public Security in each nation and in the ASEAN region;
clarified the issues on non-traditional crimes; from that basis to identify new directions on police
training content and method to meet the demand for more action against crime today.
Also at the meeting, initiatives on police training cooperation between schools of nations belong
to the ASEAN in the coming time was agreed highly by the delegates
At the end of the meeting, the delegates agreed that the 2nd ASEANAPOL Police Training
Cooperation Meeting will be hosted by the Laos National Security Academy; the 3rd meeting
will be hosted by the Cambodian Royal Police Academy.
WOMEN AND YOUTH:
The 12th ASEAN Summits Cebu Declaration Towards One Caring and Sharing Community
encourages greater institutional collaboration in promoting ASEAN awareness particularly
among the younger generation, and promotes the increased involvement of ASEAN youth and
students in national and regional activities to give them an opportunity to make valuable
contributions towards the achievement of the ASEAN Community. During the Summit, the
Leaders agreed to prepare ASEAN youth for regional leadership and to increase the
competitiveness of the peoples of Southeast Asia through education.
The Vientiane Action Program (VAP) urges increased participation of youth in the productive
workforce, and encourages their entrepreneurship and employability, leadership and regional
awareness. Priorities for youth cooperation are highlighted in the VAPs section on the ASCC,
under the strategic thrusts for Building a Community of Caring Societies, Managing the
Social Impact of Economic Integration and Promoting an ASEAN Identity.
ASEAN cooperation on youth is overseen at the Ministerial level by an ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting on Youth which meets once every two years. The implementation of the program and
activities for youth matters is carried out by the ASEAN Senior Officials on Youth (SOMY),
which reports to the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth (AMMY). The last Ministerial
Meeting, the AMMY V, was held in Singapore on 26 April 2007.
Youth cooperation in ASEAN is directed by the Work Program on Preparing ASEAN Youth for
Sustainable Development, which was considered and adopted during the AMMY IV in
September 2003. The Work Program serves as the major channel for pursuing ASEAN
cooperation in youth development, and outlines the following four priority areas: (i) Policy
Development; (ii) Promoting ASEAN Awareness and Civic Responsibility; (iii) Promoting
Employability of Youth, and (iv) Information Exchange / Promoting Partnership.

ASEAN Member Countries have achieved various accomplishments in addressing womens

issues. The ACW has convened different regional workshops, seminars, training sessions and
consultative meetings that provided platforms for government officials, civil society
organizations, professionals and other stakeholders to exchange views, share experiences and
build commitments and a common understanding on various gender issues.
The ASEAN-High Level Meeting on Gender Mainstreaming within the Context of CEDAW,
BPFA and the MDGs which was held in November 2006 is the most prominent example. During
the High Level Meeting, the Joint Statement and Commitment to Implement Gender
Mainstreaming was adopted.
Various publications and periodic regional reports were also produced. These include:
The Thesaurus on Women in Development (1996);
The First Regional Report on the Advancement of Women (1997);
The Second Regional Report on the Advancement of Women (2002);
The Third Regional Report on the Advancement of Women (2007).

DISASTER MANAGEMENT:
The ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) was established in early 2003
following the decision of the ASEAN Standing Committee (ASC). The institutional mechanism
(in the form of experts group) has existed since the 70s but was only strengthened towards 2003
with the elevation of the experts group into a full-fledged committee. The ACDM consists of
heads of national agencies responsible for disaster management of ASEAN Member Countries.
The ACDM assumes overall responsibility for coordinating and implementing the regional
activities. The ACDM met for the first time in December 2003. In pursuing a region of disasterresilient nations and safer communities, the ACDM has developed an ASEAN Regional Program
on Disaster Management (ARPDM) to provide a framework for cooperation for the period of
2004-2010. The ARPDM outlines ASEANs regional strategy on disaster management, as well as
priority areas and activities for disaster reduction.
The ARPDM is also used as a platform for cooperation and collaboration with ASEAN Dialogue
Partners and relevant international organizations. Ongoing partners of ACDM include: the
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, the Pacific Disaster Centre, the United
Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), UNICEF, IFRC, Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC), etc.
The ARPDM consists of two types of activities:
1. Regional activities covering cross-boundary issues and involving inter-country
collaboration; and
2. Regional activities in support of national activities
The program also has the following features:
1. Implementation in sub-regional clusters involving three to four countries, as appropriate;

2. Synergy with on-going disaster management programs undertaken by international and

regional organizations; and
3. Partnerships with on-going mechanisms already functioning in a hazard-specific or
thematic sector.
CONCLUSION:
One of the stated goals of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement is to reduce poverty while bringing
member states into a state of full development. ASEAN encourages the proliferation of
information and computer technology (ICT) in rural, underdeveloped communities. ASEAN
Committee on Women focuses on incorporating the roles of women into free trade-oriented
social and economic development. Western countries have criticized ASEAN for being too "soft"
in its approach to promoting human rights and democracy in the junta-led Myanmar. Despite
global outrage at the military crack-down on peaceful protesters in Yangon, ASEAN has refused
to suspend Myanmar as a member and also rejects proposals for economic sanctions. This has
caused concern as the European Union, a potential trade partner, has refused to conduct free
trade negotiations at a regional level for these political reasons. International observers view it as
a "talk shop", which implies that the organization is "big on words but small on action". During
the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, several activist groups staged anti-globalization and antiArroyo rallies. According to the activists, the agenda of economic integration would negatively
affect industries in the Philippines and would cause thousands of Filipinos to lose their jobs.
They also viewed the organization as "imperialistic" that threatens the country's sovereignty. A
human rights lawyer from New Zealand was also present to protest about the human rights
situation in the region in general. ASEAN has agreed to an ASEAN human rights body which
will come into force in 2009. The Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand want this body
to have an enforcement capacity; however Singapore, Viet Nam, Burma, Laos and Cambodia do
not.
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