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LU, FATIMA AREEJ S.

AB POLSCI IV-A

ASEAN
ASEAN, in full Association of Southeast Asian Nations, international
organization established by the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore,
and Thailand in 1967 to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development
and to promote peace and security in Southeast Asia. Brunei joined in 1984, followed
by Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Myanmar in 1997, and Cambodia in 1999. The ASEAN region has a
population of approximately 500 million and covers a total area of 1.7 million square miles (4.5
million square km). ASEAN replaced the Association of South East Asia (ASA), which had been
formed by the Philippines, Thailand, and the Federation of Malaya (now part of Malaysia) in 1961.
Under the banner of cooperative peace and shared prosperity, ASEANs chief projects centre on
economic cooperation, the promotion of trade among ASEAN countries and between ASEAN
members and the rest of the world, and programs for joint research and technical cooperation
among member governments.
Held together somewhat tenuously in its early years, ASEAN achieved a new cohesion in
the mid-1970s following the changed balance of power in Southeast Asia after the end of
the Vietnam War. The regions dynamic economic growth during the 1970s strengthened the
organization, enabling ASEAN to adopt a unified response to Vietnams invasion of Cambodia in
1979. ASEANs first summit meeting, held in Bali, Indonesia, in 1976, resulted in an agreement on
several industrial projects and the signing of a Treaty of Amity and Cooperation and a Declaration
of Concord. The end of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union at the end
of the 1980s allowed ASEAN countries to exercise greater political independence in the region,
and in the 1990s ASEAN emerged as a leading voice on regional trade and security issues. For
example, ASEAN adopted a declaration to resolve disputes in the South China Sea,
promoted dialogue on regional security by establishing the ASEAN Regional Forum, extended
membership to North Korea, and worked to resolve the conflict in East Timor. In 1992 members
reduced intraregional tariffs and eased restrictions on foreign investment by creating the ASEAN
Free Trade Area. To signal ASEANs commitment to international diplomacy, human rights, and
democratic values, its member countries signed the ASEAN Charter in 2007. If ratified, the charter
would, among other things, confer legal personality on ASEAN, create standards
of compliance with ASEAN decisions, and establish a human-rights organization within ASEAN.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)


ASEAN summit meetings, which are held every year, bring together the heads of state of
member countries; there are also annual conferences for foreign ministers. Between such
conferences ASEAN business is conducted by a standing committee consisting of the foreign
minister of the host country of the ministerial conferences and ambassadors from the other
countries. A permanent secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, is headed by a secretary-general, whose
position rotates every three years. The organization encompasses a number of committees,
including technical committees on finance, agriculture, industry, trade, and transportation. The
committees are supplemented by more than 70 working groups headed by experts and various
private-sector organizations. ASEAN publishes an annual report, as well as the semimonthly ASEAN
Newsletter.

ESTABLISHMENT

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.

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.
The Founding of ASEAN: HISTORY

On 8 August 1967, five leaders the Foreign Ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore and Thailand sat down together in the main hall of the Department of Foreign Affairs
building in Bangkok, Thailand and signed a document. By virtue of that document, the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was born. The five Foreign Ministers who signed it Adam
Malik of Indonesia, Narciso R. Ramos of the Philippines, Tun Abdul Razak of Malaysia, S.
Rajaratnam of Singapore, and Thanat Khoman of Thailand would subsequently be hailed as the
Founding Fathers of probably the most successful inter-governmental organization in the
developing world today. And the document that they signed would be known as the ASEAN
Declaration.

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.

It was while Thailand was brokering reconciliation among Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia
over certain disputes that it dawned on the four countries that the moment for regional
cooperation had come or the future of the region would remain uncertain. Recalls one of the two
surviving protagonists of that historic process, Thanat Khoman of Thailand: At the banquet
marking the reconciliation between the three disputants, I broached the idea of forming another
organization for regional cooperation with Adam Malik. Malik agreed without hesitation but asked
for time to talk with his government and also to normalize relations with Malaysia now that the
confrontation was over. Meanwhile, the Thai Foreign Office prepared a draft charter of the new
institution. Within a few months, everything was ready. I therefore invited the two former
members of the Association for Southeast Asia (ASA), Malaysia and the Philippines, and Indonesia,
a key member, to a meeting in Bangkok. In addition, Singapore sent S. Rajaratnam, then Foreign
Minister, to see me about joining the new set-up. Although the new organization was planned to
comprise only the ASA members plus Indonesia, Singapores request was favorably considered.

And so in early August 1967, the five Foreign Ministers spent four days in the relative isolation of
a beach resort in Bang Saen, a coastal town less than a hundred kilometers southeast of Bangkok.
There they negotiated over that document in a decidedly informal manner which they would later
delight in describing as sports-shirt diplomacy. Yet it was by no means an easy process: each
man brought into the deliberations a historical and political perspective that had no resemblance
to that of any of the others. But with goodwill and good humor, as often as they huddled at the
negotiating table, they finessed their way through their differences as they lined up their shots on
the golf course and traded wisecracks on one anothers game, a style of deliberation which would
eventually become the ASEAN ministerial tradition.

Now, with the rigors of negotiations and the informalities of Bang Saen behind them, with their
signatures neatly attached to the ASEAN Declaration, also known as the Bangkok Declaration, it
was time for some formalities. The first to speak was the Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs,
Narciso Ramos, a one-time journalist and long-time legislator who had given up a chance to be
Speaker of the Philippine Congress to serve as one of his countrys first diplomats. He was then 66
years old and his only son, the future President Fidel V. Ramos, was serving with the Philippine
Civic Action Group in embattled Vietnam. He recalled the tediousness of the negotiations that
preceded the signing of the Declaration that truly taxed the goodwill, the imagination, the
patience and understanding of the five participating Ministers. That ASEAN was established at all
in spite of these difficulties, he said, meant that its foundations had been solidly laid. And he
impressed it on the audience of diplomats, officials and media people who had witnessed the
signing ceremony that a great sense of urgency had prompted the Ministers to go through all that
trouble. He spoke darkly of the forces that were arrayed against the survival of the countries of
Southeast Asia in those uncertain and critical times.

The fragmented economies of Southeast Asia, he said, (with) each country pursuing its own
limited objectives and dissipating its meager resources in the overlapping or even conflicting
endeavors of sister states carry the seeds of weakness in their incapacity for growth and their self-
perpetuating dependence on the advanced, industrial nations. ASEAN, therefore, could marshal
the still untapped potentials of this rich region through more substantial united action.

When it was his turn to speak, Adam Malik, Presidium Minister for Political Affairs and Minister for
Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, recalled that about a year before, in Bangkok, at the conclusion of the
peace talks between Indonesia and Malaysia, he had explored the idea of an organization such as
ASEAN with his Malaysian and Thai counterparts. One of the angry young men in his countrys
struggle for independence two decades earlier, Adam Malik was then 50 years old and one of a
Presidium of five led by then General Soeharto that was steering Indonesia from the verge of
economic and political chaos. He was the Presidiums point man in Indonesias efforts to mend
fences with its neighbors in the wake of an unfortunate policy of confrontation. During the past
year, he said, the Ministers had all worked together toward the realization of the ASEAN idea,
making haste slowly, in order to build a new association for regional cooperation.

Adam Malik went on to describe Indonesias vision of a Southeast Asia developing into a region
which can stand on its own feet, strong enough to defend itself against any negative influence
from outside the region. Such a vision, he stressed, was not wishful thinking, if the countries of
the region effectively cooperated with each other, considering their combined natural resources
and manpower. He referred to differences of outlook among the member countries, but those
differences, he said, would be overcome through a maximum of goodwill and understanding, faith
and realism. Hard work, patience and perseverance, he added, would also be necessary.
The countries of Southeast Asia should also be willing to take responsibility for whatever happens
to them, according to Tun Abdul Razak, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, who spoke next.
In his speech, he conjured a vision of an ASEAN that would include all the countries of Southeast
Asia. Tun Abdul Razak was then concurrently his countrys Minister of Defence and Minister of
National Development. It was a time when national survival was the overriding thrust of Malaysias
relations with other nations and so as Minister of Defence, he was in charge of his countrys foreign
affairs. He stressed that the countries of the region should recognize that unless they assumed
their common responsibility to shape their own destiny and to prevent external intervention and
interference, Southeast Asia would remain fraught with danger and tension. And unless they took
decisive and collective action to prevent the eruption of intra-regional conflicts, the nations of
Southeast Asia would remain susceptible to manipulation, one against another.

We the nations and peoples of Southeast Asia, Tun Abdul Razak said, must get together and
form by ourselves a new perspective and a new framework for our region. It is important that
individually and jointly we should create a deep awareness that we cannot survive for long as
independent but isolated peoples unless we also think and act together and unless we prove by
deeds that we belong to a family of Southeast Asian nations bound together by ties of friendship
and goodwill and imbued with our own ideals and aspirations and determined to shape our own
destiny. He added that, with the establishment of ASEAN, we have taken a firm and a bold step
on that road.

For his part, S. Rajaratnam, a former Minister of Culture of multi-cultural Singapore who, at that
time, served as its first Foreign Minister, noted that two decades of nationalist fervor had not
fulfilled the expectations of the people of Southeast Asia for better living standards. If ASEAN
would succeed, he said, then its members would have to marry national thinking with regional
thinking.

We must now think at two levels, Rajaratnam said. We must think not only of our national
interests but posit them against regional interests: that is a new way of thinking about our
problems. And these are two different things and sometimes they can conflict. Secondly, we must
also accept the fact, if we are really serious about it, that regional existence means painful
adjustments to those practices and thinking in our respective countries. We must make these
painful and difficult adjustments. If we are not going to do that, then regionalism remains a
utopia.

S. Rajaratnam expressed the fear, however, that ASEAN would be misunderstood. We are not
against anything, he said, not against anybody. And here he used a term that would have an
ominous ring even today: balkanization. In Southeast Asia, as in Europe and any part of the world,
he said, outside powers had a vested interest in the balkanization of the region. We want to
ensure, he said, a stable Southeast Asia, not a balkanized Southeast Asia. And those countries
who are interested, genuinely interested, in the stability of Southeast Asia, the prosperity of
Southeast Asia, and better economic and social conditions, will welcome small countries getting
together to pool their collective resources and their collective wisdom to contribute to the peace
of the world.
The goal of ASEAN, then, is to create, not to destroy. This, the Foreign Minister of Thailand, Thanat
Khoman, stressed when it was his turn to speak. At a time when the Vietnam conflict was raging
and American forces seemed forever entrenched in Indochina, he had foreseen their eventual
withdrawal from the area and had accordingly applied himself to adjusting Thailands foreign
policy to a reality that would only become apparent more than half a decade later. He must have
had that in mind when, on that occasion, he said that the countries of Southeast Asia had no choice
but to adjust to the exigencies of the time, to move toward closer cooperation and even
integration. Elaborating on ASEAN objectives, he spoke of building a new society that will be
responsive to the needs of our time and efficiently equipped to bring about, for the enjoyment
and the material as well as spiritual advancement of our peoples, conditions of stability and
progress. Particularly what millions of men and women in our part of the world want is to erase
the old and obsolete concept of domination and subjection of the past and replace it with the new
spirit of give and take, of equality and partnership. More than anything else, they want to be
master of their own house and to enjoy the inherent right to decide their own destiny

While the nations of Southeast Asia prevent attempts to deprive them of their freedom and
sovereignty, he said, they must first free themselves from the material impediments of ignorance,
disease and hunger. Each of these nations cannot accomplish that alone, but by joining together
and cooperating with those who have the same aspirations, these objectives become easier to
attain. Then Thanat Khoman concluded: What we have decided today is only a small beginning
of what we hope will be a long and continuous sequence of accomplishments of which we
ourselves, those who will join us later and the generations to come, can be proud. Let it be for
Southeast Asia, a potentially rich region, rich in history, in spiritual as well as material resources
and indeed for the whole ancient continent of Asia, the light of happiness and well-being that will
shine over the uncounted millions of our struggling peoples.

The Foreign Minister of Thailand closed the inaugural session of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations by presenting each of his colleagues with a memento. Inscribed on the memento
presented to the Foreign Minister of Indonesia, was the citation, In recognition of services
rendered by His Excellency Adam Malik to the ASEAN organization, the name of which was
suggested by him.

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 two-page Bangkok Declaration not only contains the rationale for the establishment of ASEAN
and its specific objectives. It represents the organizations modus operandi of building on small
steps, voluntary, and informal arrangements towards more binding and institutionalized
agreements. All the founding member states and the newer members have stood fast to the spirit
of the Bangkok Declaration. Over the years, ASEAN has progressively entered into several formal
and legally-binding instruments, such as the 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast
Asia and the 1995 Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone.

Against the backdrop of conflict in the then Indochina, the Founding Fathers had the foresight of
building a community of and for all Southeast Asian states. Thus the Bangkok Declaration
promulgated that the Association is open for participation to all States in the Southeast Asian
region subscribing to the aforementioned aims, principles and purposes. ASEANs inclusive
outlook has paved the way for community-building not only in Southeast Asia, but also in the
broader Asia Pacific region where several other inter-governmental organizations now co-exist.

The original ASEAN logo presented five brown sheaves of rice stalks, one for each founding
member. Beneath the sheaves is the legend ASEAN in blue. These are set on a field of yellow
encircled by a blue border. Brown stands for strength and stability, yellow for prosperity and blue
for the spirit of cordiality in which ASEAN affairs are conducted. When ASEAN celebrated its 30th
Anniversary in 1997, the sheaves on the logo had increased to ten representing all ten countries
of Southeast Asia and reflecting the colors of the flags of all of them. In a very real sense, ASEAN
and Southeast Asia would then be one and the same, just as the Founding Fathers had envisioned.

This article is based on the first chapter of ASEAN at 30, a publication of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations in commemoration of its 30th Anniversary on 8 August 1997, written by
Jamil Maidan Flores and Jun Abad.

The motto of ASEAN is One Vision, One Identity, One Community.

GUIDELINES ON THE USE OF THE ASEAN FLAG

1. The ASEAN Flag is a symbol of Member States unity and support for the principles and
endeavours of ASEAN and is a means to promote greater ASEAN awareness and solidarity.
2. The ASEAN Flag represents a stable, peaceful, united and dynamic ASEAN. The colours of
the Flag blue, red, white and yellow represent the main colours of the flags of all the
ASEAN Member States.
3. The blue represents peace and stability. Red depicts courage and dynamism, white shows
purity and yellow symbolises prosperity.
4. The stalks of padi in the centre of the Emblem represent the dream of ASEANs Founding
Fathers for an ASEAN comprising all the countries in Southeast Asia, bound together in
friendship and solidarity.
5. The circle represents the unity of ASEAN.
6. The ASEAN Flag is the reserved copyright of ASEAN.
7. The specifications of the ASEAN Flag are annexed.

A. Dignity of the ASEAN Flag

8. The ASEAN Flag shall be treated with respect and shall not be subjected to any indignity.

B. Use of the ASEAN Flag

B.1. Use of the ASEAN Flag by ASEAN Member States

9. ASEAN Member States shall use the ASEAN Flag in the manner specified under these
guidelines that include the following:
a. The ASEAN Flag shall be displayed at all ASEAN National Secretariats.
b. The ASEAN Flag shall be displayed on a permanent basis at Diplomatic and Consular
Missions of ASEAN Member States alongside the national flag. The ASEAN Flag shall
be displayed by the ASEAN Member States in third countries which are recognised
by all ASEAN Member States.
c. The ASEAN Flag shall be displayed alongside the national flag in the following
manner:
d. The ASEAN Flag shall be displayed during ASEAN meetings, ASEAN Day Celebrations,
ceremonies and functions held in Member States.

e. The display of the ASEAN Flag shall be in accordance with national laws and regulations
of the respective countries and the provisions under these Guidelines.

B.2. Use of the ASEAN Flag by the ASEAN Secretariat

10. The ASEAN Secretariat shall use the ASEAN Flag in the manner specified under these
guidelines that include the following:
a. Display at the Secretariat buildings and residence of the Secretary-General;

b. During ASEAN meetings

c. On the official vehicle of the Secretary-General of ASEAN during official functions;


and

d. During ASEAN Day celebrations, official functions, ceremonies, exhibitions,


gatherings or any other occasions organised by the ASEAN Secretariat in its effort
to promote the interest of ASEAN.

B.3. Use of the ASEAN Flag by ASEAN Committees in Third Countries

11. ASEAN Committees in Third Countries shall also display the ASEAN Flag during ASEAN Day
celebrations, official functions, ceremonies, exhibitions, gatherings or any other occasions
in its effort to promote the interest of ASEAN.

B.4. Use of the ASEAN Flag by ASEAN institutions

12. ASEAN institutions shall display the ASEAN Flag at their premises as well as during ASEAN
meetings, ASEAN Day celebrations, official functions, ceremonies, exhibitions, gatherings
or any other occasions in its effort to promote the interest of ASEAN.

B.5. Use of the ASEAN Flag by Countries, International Organisations and Entities Associated with
ASEAN

13. Countries which have relations with ASEAN, International Organisations which work closely
with ASEAN and entities associated with ASEAN may display the ASEAN Flag in support of
activities related to ASEAN.

B.6. Use of the ASEAN Flag in Mourning

14. Upon the passing of a Head of State or Government of a Member State, the ASEAN Flag
will be flown at half-mast at the ASEAN Secretariat building and other ASEAN institutional
buildings for an official mourning period. The ASEAN Flag may also be flown at half-mast in
special circumstances, including natural calamities in ASEAN Member States, upon the
approval of all ASEAN Member States.
15. Member States will decide if the ASEAN Flag should be flown at half-mast in their
respective countries as well as the period of mourning.

C. Position of ASEAN Flag in the Flag Arrangements for ASEAN Meetings

16. The ASEAN outdoor/venue and room flag shall be displayed together with the flags of
ASEAN Member States in alphabetical order, based on the names of Member States,
starting from Brunei Darussalam on the extreme left and with the ASEAN Flag always on
the extreme right after the national flag of Viet Nam, in the following manner:
Diagram 1: Outdoor Flags Diagram

17. When placed with the flag of a Dialogue Partner, the ASEAN Flag along with the flags of
ASEAN Member States shall be displayed in the following manner:
Diagram 2: Venue Flags (Outdoor/Indoor)

18. The ASEAN table flag shall be displayed at the left side of the name plaque of the ASEAN
Secretariat, in the following manner:
D. Disposal of Worn Flag

19. When the ASEAN Flag has become worn or torn or frayed, it shall not be displayed, and
shall be properly disposed of.

E. Approval of and Amendments to the Guidelines

20. The Guidelines shall be approved by the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC).
21. Any Member State may propose amendments to the Guidelines, which shall be submitted
to the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) for its consideration and agreed
upon by consensus. The agreed amendments shall be submitted to the ASEAN
Coordinating Council (ACC) for notation, and thereafter come into immediate effect.
ASEAN EMBLEM

Guidelines on the Use of the ASEAN Emblem

1. The ASEAN Emblem shall be the official emblem of ASEAN.


2. The ASEAN Emblem represents a stable, peaceful, united and dynamic ASEAN. The colours
of the Emblem blue, red, white and yellow represent the main colours of the state
crests of all the ASEAN Member States.
3. The blue represents peace and stability. Red depicts courage and dynamism, white shows
purity and yellow symbolises prosperity.
4. The stalks of padi in the centre of the Emblem represent the dream of ASEANs Founding
Fathers for an ASEAN comprising all the countries in Southeast Asia, bound together in
friendship and solidarity.
5. The circle represents the unity of ASEAN.
6. The ASEAN Emblem is the reserved copyright of ASEAN.

A. Use of the ASEAN Emblem

7. The ASEAN Emblem shall be used in a manner that promotes ASEAN and its purposes and
principles. It shall not be used for political purposes or for activities that harm the dignity
of ASEAN.
8. The ASEAN Emblem shall not be used for commercial purposes unless the entities
concerned obtain official approval through the procedures stipulated in Article A.4.

A.1. Use of the ASEAN Emblem by ASEAN Member States

9. ASEAN Member States are encouraged to use the ASEAN Emblem in official functions
relating to ASEAN.
10. The ASEAN Emblem shall be placed to the right of the ASEAN Member States National
Symbols, as seen by the viewer.

A.2. Use of the ASEAN Emblem by the ASEAN Secretariat

11. The ASEAN Secretariat shall use the ASEAN Emblem in the manner considered appropriate
by the Secretary-General which may include the following:
a. Display at the Secretariat buildings and residence of the Secretary-General;
b. Use in its official correspondence as letterhead;
c. Use as the official seal for the ASEAN Secretariat;
d. Use in its official publications, stationery and souvenirs;
e. Mark or engrave on properties belonging to the ASEAN Secretariat; and
f. Display at ASEAN official functions.

A.3. Use of the ASEAN Emblem by Entities Associated with ASEAN

12. Entities officially associated with ASEAN as in Annex 2 of the ASEAN Charter may use the
ASEAN Emblem in their official correspondences and meetings.

A.4. Use of the ASEAN Emblem by Other Entities

13. Other entities based in an ASEAN Member State shall submit their request for the use of
the ASEAN Emblem to the ASEAN National Secretariat concerned.
14. Other entities outside the ASEAN region shall submit their request for the use of the ASEAN
Emblem to the Community Relations Division of the ASEAN Secretariat:

Community Relations Division


The ASEAN Secretariat
70 A, Jl. Sisingamangaraja
Jakarta 12110
Indonesia
E-mail: public@asean.org

15. Requests for the use of the ASEAN Emblem shall be submitted in writing, and accompanied
with the following information:
o organisational profile;
o nature and purpose of the proposed activity;
o duration of the use of the ASEAN Emblem; and
o prototype of the proposed use of the ASEAN Emblem.
16. The ASEAN National Secretariats and the ASEAN Secretariat shall consider the requests
accordingly. The approval granted shall be exclusive to the proposed activity. Such
approval shall not be extended to third parties.
17. Authorisation to use the ASEAN Emblem does not confer on those to whom it is granted
any right of exclusive use, nor does it allow them to appropriate the Emblem or any similar
trademark or logo, either by registration or any other means.

B. Reproduction of the ASEAN Emblem

18. The ASEAN Emblem shall be reproduced in accordance with the Specifications and Colours
indicated in the Annex.
C. Approval of and Amendments to the Guidelines

19. The Guidelines shall be approved by the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC).
20. Any Member State may propose amendments to the Guidelines, which shall be submitted
to the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) for its consideration and agreed
upon by consensus. The agreed amendments shall be submitted to the ASEAN
Coordinating Council (ACC) for notation, and thereafter come into immediate effect.

ANNEX

Specifications and Colours

1. The specifications of Pantone Colour adopted for the colours of the ASEAN Emblem are:
Blue : Pantone 286
Red : Pantone Red 032
Yellow : Pantone Process Yellow
2. For four-colour printing process, the specifications of colours will be:
Blue : 100C 60 M 0Y 6K (100C 60M 0Y 10K)
Red : 0C 91M 87Y 0K (0C 90M 90Y 0K)
Yellow : 0C 0M 100Y 0K
3. Specifications in brackets are to be used when an arbitrary measurement of process
colours is not possible.
4. In Pantone Process Colour Simulator, the specifications equal to:
Blue : Pantone 204-1
Red : Pantone 60-1
Yellow : Pantone 1-3
5. The font used for the word ASEAN in the Emblem is lower-case Helvetica in bold.
6. The Emblem shall appear either in the specified colours or in a singular colour of black,
white, gold or silver. It can be enlarged or shrunk in proportionate size as appropriate for
its use and place of display.

ASEAN DAY

8th August is observed as ASEAN Day.

ASEAN ANTHEM

Guidelines on the Use of the ASEAN Anthem

1. The ASEAN Anthem is an expression of ASEAN unity. It also strengthens the sense of ASEAN
identity and belonging among the peoples of the region.
2. The ASEAN Anthem is titled THE ASEAN WAY, with musical composition and lyrics as
attached.
3. The ASEAN Anthem is under the copyright of ASEAN with the ASEAN Secretariat as the
main body to oversee its proper use.

A. Dignity of the ASEAN Anthem

4. The ASEAN Anthem shall be used in a proper and dignified manner. When the Anthem is
played, the audience shall rise.
5. The Anthem shall not be used in whole or in parts for commercial purposes or political
propaganda.

B. Use of the ASEAN Anthem

6. The use of the ASEAN Anthem is encouraged at ASEAN formal meetings and related
activities, including those with ASEAN Dialogue Partners.
7. The ASEAN Anthem may be played to commemorate special occasions of ASEAN, such as
the anniversary of ASEAN, or in efforts to promote the interests of ASEAN.
8. ASEAN Member States are encouraged to translate the ASEAN Anthem into local languages
as a way to promote the Anthem and increase ASEAN awareness within their countries.

C. Inquiries on the Use of the ASEAN Anthem

9. Inquiries concerning the ASEAN Anthem should be addressed to: Community Relations
Division
The ASEAN Secretariat
70 A, Jl. Sisingamangaraja
Jakarta 12110
Indonesia
Email: public@asean.org

D. Approval of and Amendments to the Guidelines

10. The Guidelines shall be approved by the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC).
11. Any Member State may propose amendments to the Guidelines, which shall be submitted
to the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) for its consideration and agreed
upon by consensus. The agreed amendments shall be submitted to the ASEAN
Coordinating Council (ACC) for notation, and thereafter come into immediate effect.

Note:

The Guidelines were adopted at the 6th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC), Ha Noi,
8 April 2010.
Audio, The ASEAN Way

The Asean Way / Original Version

By :

Mr.Kittikhun Sodprasert, Mr Sampow Triudom, Mrs.Payom Valaipatchra

Lyrics, The ASEAN Way

Raise our flag high, sky high

Embrace the pride in our heart

ASEAN we are bonded as one

Look-in out to the world.

For peace, our goal from the very start

And prosperity to last.

We dare to dream we care to share.

Together for ASEAN

we dare to dream,

we care to share for its the way of ASEAN.

ASEAN NAME

Guidelines on the Use of the Name ASEAN

A. Scope and Application

1. The Name ASEAN refers to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.


2. These Guidelines set out the procedure for the request and authorization for the use of the
name ASEAN.
3. These Guidelines shall apply to entities requesting to use the name ASEAN and shall not apply
to the following:
3.1 ASEAN Organs under Chapter IV of the ASEAN Charter including their mechanisms,
activities and programmes;

3.2 ASEAN mechanism officially established by ASEAN Member States;

3.3 Entities belonging to or activities organized by the Governments of ASEAN Member


States; and

3.4 Entities associated with ASEAN in accordance with Article 16 of the ASEAN Charter.

B. Protection

4. The name ASEAN is protected under Article 6ter of the Paris Convention for the Protection
of Industrial Property, adopted in 1883 and revised in Stockholm in 1967.

C. Use of the Name ASEAN

5. The use of the name ASEAN aims to promote ASEAN and its purposes and principles as
stipulated in the ASEAN Charter. It shall not be used for political propaganda or for activities
that harm the dignity and integrity of ASEAN, and adversely affects ASEAN or ASEAN Member
States.
6. The request for the use of the name ASEAN shall satisfy the following conditions:

6.1 The entity shall be indigenous to ASEAN;

6.2 The use of the name ASEAN shall be in support of ASEAN purposes and principles as
well as for mutual benefit in the context of attaining ASEAN Community 2015 and beyond
and shall not have any negative effect on such purposes and principles;
6.3 The name ASEAN shall not be brought into disrepute by its use.

C. Enquiries and Requests for the Use of the Name ASEAN

7. Any enquiry and/or request for the use of the name ASEAN shall be submitted in writing to
the ASEAN Secretariat at the following address:
Legal Services and Agreements Division
The ASEAN Secretariat
70A, Jl. Sisingamangaraja
Jakarta 12110
Indonesia
E-mail: LegalServices&AgreementsDivision

8. An entity requesting for the use of the name ASEAN will be required to complete the
prescribed application form and submit it together with supporting documents as specified in
the form.
Download Request Form for the Use of the Name ASEAN Here

D. Authorisation and Revocation Process

9. Upon receiving an enquiry and/or request by an entity seeking to use the name ASEAN, the
ASEAN Secretariat will consider such enquiry and/or request within a reasonable time. Where
necessary, the ASEAN Secretariat may, seek further information and clarification from the
requesting entity to ensure that the enquiry and/or request will be processed appropriately.
10. In considering the request, the ASEAN Secretariat may, if necessary, consult with the
Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) and/or concerned ASEAN Sectoral Bodies.
11. Where the abovementioned conditions and requirements for the request are satisfied, the
ASEAN Secretariat may grant the authorization to use the name ASEAN. Such authorization
shall be on a non-exclusive basis and may be subject to any terms and conditions as may be
determined by the ASEAN Secretariat on a case-by-case basis.
12. The authorization for the use of the name ASEAN cannot be extended or otherwise
transferred to any third party.
13. The authorization to use the name ASEAN does not establish any form of relations or confer
any status between ASEAN and the entity to which the authorization has been granted. Such
authorization shall not entitle the entity to act on behalf of ASEAN, or to undertake any act to
bind ASEAN or create a liability against ASEAN in any manner whatsoever.
14. Any ASEAN Member State or the ASEAN Secretariat may suggest the revocation of the use of
the name ASEAN. The decision on the revocation shall be made by the ASEAN Secretariat in
consultation with the CPR, taking into consideration the provisions set forth in these
Guidelines.

E. Amendments to the Guidelines

15. Any ASEAN Member State may propose amendments to these Guidelines, which shall be
submitted to the CPR for its consideration and agreed upon by consensus. The agreed
amendments shall be submitted to the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) for notation, and
thereafter come into immediate effect.

F. Final Clause

16. The CPR considered and agreed to these Guidelines at the 18/2013 CPR Meeting on 19
September 2013.
ASEAN Member States
Home/ASEAN/ASEAN Member States

Brunei Darussalam

Head of State : His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah

Capital : Bandar Seri Begawan

National Flag : Click Here for detail Specification.

Language(s) : Malay, English

Currency : B$ (Brunei Dollar)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade of Brunei Darussalam Website: www.mfa.gov.bn


Cambodia

Head of State : His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni

Head of Government : Prime Minister Hun Sen

Capital : Phnom Penh

National Flag : Click Here for detail Specification.

Language : Khmer

Currency : Riel

Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of Cambodia Website: www.mfaic.gov.kh

Indonesia

Head of State : President Joko Widodo

Capital : Jakarta

Language : Indonesian

Currency : Rupiah

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia Website: www.kemlu.go.id

Lao PDR
Head of State : President Bounnhang Vorachith

Head of Government : Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith

Capital : Vientiane

National Flag : Click Here for detail Specification.

Language : Lao

Currency : Kip

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lao PDR Website: www.mofa.gov.la

Malaysia

Head of State : His Majesty The King Almutasimu Billahi Muhibbuddin Tuanku Al-Haj Abdul Halim
Muadzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah

Head of Government : The Honourable Dato Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak

Capital : Kuala Lumpur

National Flag : Click Here for detail Specification.

Language(s) : Malay, English, Chinese, Tamil

Currency : Ringgit

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia Website: www.kln.gov.my

ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat Website: www.kln.gov.my/myasean


Myanmar

Head of State : President U Htin Kyaw

Capital : Nay Pyi Taw

National Flag : Click Here for detail Specification.

Language : Myanmar

Currency : Kyat

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar Website: www.mofa.gov.mm

Philippines

Head of State : President Rodrigo Roa Duterte

Capital : Manila

National Flag : Click Here for detail Specification.

Language(s) : Filipino, English, Spanish

Currency : Peso

Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Website: www.dfa.gov.ph

Singapore
Head of State : President Tony Tan Keng Yam

Head of Government : Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

Capital : Singapore

National Flag : Click Here for detail Specification.

Language(s) : English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil

Currency : S$ (Singapore Dollar)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Website: www.mfa.gov.sg

Thailand

Head of State : His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun

Head of Government : Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha

Capital : Bangkok

National Flag : Click Here for detail Specification.

Language : Thai

Currency : Baht

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Website: www.mfa.go.th

Viet Nam
Head of State : President Tran Dai Quang

Head of Government : Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc

Capital : Ha Noi

National Flag : Click Here for detail Specification.

Language : Vietnamese

Currency : Dong

ASEAN Charter
Home/ASEAN/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. It will also be registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations, pursuant to
Article 102, Paragraph 1 of the Charter of the United Nations.

The importance of the ASEAN Charter can be seen in the following contexts:

New political commitment at the top level


New and enhanced commitments
New legal framework, legal personality
New ASEAN bodies
Two new openly-recruited DSGs
More ASEAN meetings
More roles of ASEAN Foreign Ministers
New and enhanced role of the Secretary-General of ASEAN
Other new initiatives and changes
Asia Opportunities: Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015

Under the Asean Economic Community (AEC), a single regional common market of Asean
countries will be created by 2015. The regional integration's objective is to create a competitive
market of over 600 million people in Asean countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. There will be free flow
of goods, services, investment capital and skilled labor following the liberalization. These will
include tariff reductions and streamlining of certain administrative procedures. Many businesses
have begun preparing themselves three years ahead of time to meet the challenges and
opportunities of the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Even though, according to the Bangkok Post newspaper in Thailand, the AEC Scorecard at the
moment shows the region behind schedule, having achieved only 73.6% of Phase 1 goals, it still
offers a big opportunity in Asia as it will be viewed as a single large market. Further. the
integration will help increase Asean competitiveness with China and India. The delayed issues,
such as agriculture, non-tariff barriers, integration of the less-developed CLMV (Cambodia, Laos,
Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam) members, and financial integration remain to be worked
out. According to the US International Trade Commission report on AEC
(www.usasean.org/ASEAN/pub4176.pdf), the challenges were seen in the area of importing and
exporting which vary widely among Asean members. For example, procedures for trading are
relatively easy to complete in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, but very difficult in Laos and
Cambodia. The quality of logistics services also varies among the Asean members, such as
customs brokerage, freight forwarding, and express delivery. Logistics services are world-class in
Singapore but poor in Laos, Cambodia, and Burma. In many Asean countries, restrictive
regulations hamper the delivery of high-quality logistics services.

Benefits of the Asean Economic Community (AEC)

It will open more regional cooperation and will improve the scale efficiencies, dynamism
and competitiveness of Asean members. AEC will enable easier movement of goods,
services, investment, capital and people. Ultimately, it will offer new ways of
coordinating supply chains, or access to new markets for established products.
All Asean countries are more important to foreign investors if they are considered as one
node in a larger regional market of nearly 600 million people - a single market. The Asean
Free Trade Agreement will be expanded to zero tariffs on almost all goods by 2015. Asean
plans to remain engaged with the global economy through regional-level free trade
agreements - today, Asean has such agreements with China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia
and New Zealand.
The USITC's Asean: Regional Trends in Economic Integration, Export Competitiveness, and
Inbound Investment for Selected Industries Report noted that the AEC is coming at a time
when it is recognized that investment in emerging markets is more desirable than in the
US and Europe. "There will be no shortage of funding coming from within Asean, the Asia
Pacific or even the US and Europe. These investments can bring about badly needed
capital for some countries, allowing them to leapfrog from the 20th century into the 21st
in terms of competition in mature countries such as Thailand and Malaysia", said the
report.
SMEs accounted for 96% of enterprises and between 50-85% of domestic employment
across Asean. Integrating these SMEs and supporting them in the inital period will be a
challenge throughout ASEAN but particularly in the lesser developed ASEAN
countries. Recently I was in SIngapore and it is obvious that the Singapore government
fully realizes the challenge and the opportunity that the AEC will represent to SMEs and
is putting both the planning talent and the resources to better support their SMEs. I was
also in Vietnam and Thailand and although both countries are starting to verbalize and
meet to develop more effective plans for SME integration and support, it is obvious that
these plans are probably behind where they need to be. In countries, such as Cambodia,
Laos and Myanmar (Burma), plans are even further behind and more in need of support
and resources.
Tourism opportunity. Asians travels more in the region and there are more travelers from
other countries that have begun to reach out to Asia as new visitors. The trends were
evident at the recent Hub City Forum, held by the Pacific Asia Tourism Association (Pata),
where more than 100 travel industry executives discussed the tourism potential,
government's spending to upgrade facilities both for leisure attractions like museums;
and also MICE facilities such as convention centers, reported the newspaper. MICE
tourism opportunities are particularly large and hopefully countries that have the most
experience in this area such as Thailand and SIngapore will render their assistance to
those with weak MICE experience - recent examples of this are Thailand with Vietnam
and also some talk in Thailand about rendering assistance in Laos and possibly Cambodia.
Internationalization of health care under the AEC. Health care is one of the sectors to be
internationalized. This is definitely a big challenge as it is more complicated than just the
popularity of Singapore and Thailand's "medical tourism" that patients travel from one
country to another seeking better care at lower cost. The legal and licensing frameworks
are still needed to be worked out. However, it offers potentials for the free-flow of
health services, etc. in the region. Recent examples here were noted in the Bangkok Post
in mid-March which noted programs by Thailand's largest medical service BGH and other
Thai hospital groups to step-up the pace of mergers and acquistions and joint ventures in
other AEC countries to help give them a better platform to better take care of developing
AEC opportunities.

Current Situation

- The AEC development has been criticized for being "too slow" and some observers have said
that the issues that have been delayed were those of importance and could make or break the
success of the integration. Some specialists also commented about the lack of leadership on this
issue - the role of Asean chairmanship is a rotating position and a series of officials from the
poorer, less developed Asean countries will be the chair of Asean for the next few years which
means that leadership will be inexperienced and possibly be less interested in pushing ahead
quickly with integration on all fronts. Furthermore, Asean will suffer the departure of a strong
leader as the current Asean Secretary General, Thai diplomat Surin Pitsuwan, is completing his 5-
year term as Asean Secretary-General this year. As an experienced diplomat Surin Pitsuwan and
prior to him the equally experienced Ong Keng Yong from Singapore have pushed ahead on
integration. Some observers note that the less experienced officials from poorer and less
developed Asean countries set to follow them will not have the same leadership skills, experience
or knowledge and that this will tell on future progress.

- Infrastructure development among the Asean countries: both the development of hard
infrastructure such as roads, ports, airports, etc. and soft infrastructure such as human resource
and training are being concentrated.

Hard infrastructure: Many countries' governments have plans to upgrade their infrastructure,
such as the plan of three highways linking Asean - the North/South one linking South China
through Myanmar, Thailand, Lao and Vietnam; the East/West Corridor linking Myanmar,
Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam; and the South/South one linking Myanmars Dawei deep seaport,
Thailands Laem Chabang and Cambodia (link to our infrastructure article). Thailand's
government has also been talking to China about the high-speed train project linking Laos and
Thailands Nong Khai to the southern border and Malaysia.

For soft infrastructure, better English speaking countries in Asean, such as Singapore, Malaysia
and the Philippines will have an advantage over countries like Thailand. According to the Bangkok
Post, Thailand has established the English Speaking Year 2012 program in preparation for the
merging of the AEC. This is a step in the right direction but what is ultimately needed is not only
a program but a new mind-set. Thailand has not given enough attention to improving English
skills throughout its education system and now is in a somewhat weaker position to countries
such as Vietnam who have given increased attention to this and also benefit from having a
western alphabet that makes learning of English both reading and writing easier than in Thailand.

- The banking sector will particularly need to stay ahead of the game to facilitate investors and to
support their moves throughout the region. Singaporean and Malaysian banks and telecoms,
for instance, have invested heavily in the region and seem to be slightly ahead of other
competitors in better preparing themselves for the AEC.

- Executives have to adjust strategy. Inside the AEC, managers will increasingly have to pursue
sales opportunities across the region while focusing relentlessly on cost efficiencies by integrating
their operations across the region, managing through lean techniques but also developing
effective corporate centralization. Externally, managers in countries such as the US, Canada and
Europe are going to have to start paying better attention to this new opportunity. Many of them
right now seem to have eyes for only China and India. Asia is much more than either of these
two countries and western managers need to study and better understand the opportunities that
the AEC presents. In China and India, the AEC also is not fully appreciated nor understood and
both Indian and Chinese managers need to also focus more attention and to travel and address
the opportunities that the AEC presents.

- Asean members still view each other as competitors, for inbound investment and jobs, reported
USITC. Ultimately, these distinctions should start to fade to some extent but in the future the
line between competitor and collaborator within Asean may become less clear. The Asean
members will need legally binding means to enforce compliance with the objectives of the
roadmaps, suggested the report.

Whats Next?

These are vast and ambitious pursuits, and 2015 is less than three years away. Businesses need
to have an international mindset, which gives them the appetite and ability to make cross-
border investments and acquisitions. Momentum has been established, as seen from many
investments and merger and acquisition activity that has occurred in the region. In Thailand,
Siam Cement, one of Thailand's largest conglomerates, is gearing up to spend 75% of its $5-
billion investment budget for 2012-16 to acquire assets, many in Asean countries, according to
the Bangkok Post, and there are other large companies such as CP or BGH that are doing the
same. In the Philippines, the Philippine pharmaceutical company Unilab markets its affordable
analgesics and cough and cold mixtures all over Southeast Asia through joint ventures, while
the Axiata group of mobile operators is looking into network-sharing, according to the Manila
times. Indonesia's AirAsia, Asia's largest budget airline, is opening a regional office in Jakarta to
engage with the Asean Secretariat there and work toward a single Asean sky and aviation
authority, reported the Jarkata Post. In late 2011, a group of business luminaries, including the
CEOs of CIMB Bank, AirAsia, Bangkok Bank and Ayala Group launched the Asean Business Club,
a private-sector initiative to engage in Asean's community building efforts.

The AEC is definitely a work in progress. Some efforts will go faster and bear quicker fruit than
others; others will face more challenges and may be less crisply implemented. Still, we believe
the future is clearly in favor of the AEC and that it offers clear opportunities and challenges that
all businesses need to be thinking about and preparing for. Those who fail to do so, have no
one to blame but themselves for missing out on a wonderful new opportunity for sales,
investment and engagement with Asia.

ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM


ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)
Home/ASEAN Political - Security Community/ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)

Established: 1994, meets annually


Last Meeting: 20th ARF, 2 July 2013, Bandar Seri Begawan
Objectives:

The objectives of the ASEAN Regional Forum are outlined in the First ARF Chairmans Statement
(1994), namely:

to foster constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common
interest and concern; and to make significant contributions to efforts towards confidence-building
and preventive diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region.

The 27th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (1994) stated that The ARF could become an effective
consultative Asia-Pacific Forum for promoting open dialogue on political and security cooperation
in the region. In this context, ASEAN should work with its ARF partners to bring about a more
predictable and constructive pattern of relations in the Asia Pacific.

ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)


The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is an important forum for security dialogue in Asia. It draws
together 27 members which have a bearing on the security of the Asia Pacific region.

Background to the ASEAN Regional Forum


The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was established in 1994. It comprises 27 members: the 10
ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), the 10 ASEAN dialogue partners (Australia, Canada, China,
the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United
States), one ASEAN observer (Papua New Guinea), as well as the Democratic Peoples Republic
of Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The ARF is a key forum for security dialogue in Asia, complementing the various bilateral alliances
and dialogues. It provides a setting in which members can discuss current regional security issues
and develop cooperative measures to enhance peace and security in the region.

Development of the ASEAN Regional Forum


The ARF is characterised by consensus decision making and frank dialogue. The 1995 ARF
Concept Paper set out a three-stage, evolutionary approach to the ARF's development, moving
from confidence-building to preventive diplomacy and, in the long term, towards a conflict
resolution capability.
During its first phase, the ARF focused on confidence building measures and made modest gains
in building a sense of strategic community. At the 16th ARF Ministerial Meeting in July 2009,
Ministers endorsed an ARF vision statement. The vision included an undertaking to move
towards the ARFs second phase - the development of a preventive diplomacy capacity. This was
followed by the adoption, in July 2010, of the Hanoi Plan of Action to implement the Vision
Statement.
Australia's Involvement in the ARF
Australia was a founding member of the ARF and has been an active participant in the Forum's
discussions and activities. Australia has been supportive of efforts for the ARF to develop
preventive diplomacy tools, including as a key drafter of the ARF Work Plan for Preventive
Diplomacy.
In the 2015-16 cycle, we co-led with Malaysia work on counter-radicalisation under the ARF
Work Plan for Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime and co-chaired with Singapore an
annual meeting of the ARFs Track 1.5 (i.e. officials and academics) Experts and Eminent Persons
(EEPs) group. We also co-chaired with the Philippines and the US an ARF Workshop on National
Maritime Single Points of Contact to enhance practical cooperation among maritime law
enforcement agencies.
In the 2016-17 cycle, we will co-chair with Vietnam the 11th annual meeting of the ARF EEPs
group. We will co-chair a workshop with Malaysia to combat online extremist messaging, as well
as a workshop with the Philippines and the EU on preventing violent extremism in ARF countries.
We will also continue to work with ARF partners on an initiative for a directory of cyber points
of contact to facilitate communication and prevent escalation in crisis situations.

ARF meetings and processes


The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has responsibility for ARF policy, in consultation
with the Department of Defence and other relevant agencies. ARF meetings are held at Foreign
Minister level, annually in conjunction with the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (PMC). The
chair of ASEAN, which rotates on annual basis, is also the chair of the ARF. The principal formal
ARF document is the ARF Chair's Statement issued after every ARF Ministerial meeting.
The 23rd ARF Ministerial meeting was held in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on 26 July 2016 . The meeting
focused on key regional issues including South China Sea, Countering Violent Extremism and the
Korean Peninsula. Foreign Ministers adopted a Statement on Enhancing Cooperation among
Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies, a Statement on Recent Tragic Terrorist Attacks, and a
Statement on Strengthening Cooperation in the Management of Cross-Border Movement of
Criminals.
The ARF is supported by the ARF Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) which meets annually around
May/June. An ARF Inter-Sessional Support Group (ISG) meeting on Confidence Building
Measures and Preventive Diplomacy is also held at officials' level each year, co-chaired by one
ASEAN and one non-ASEAN member. Australia last co-chaired the ISG process in 2010-11 with
Indonesia. Recommendations and outcomes of these ISG meetings feed into the ARF Senior
Officials Meeting.
The ARF also conducts four Inter-Sessional Meetings (ISMs) annually, focusing on Counter-
Terrorism and Transnational Crime, Disaster Relief, Maritime Security, and Non-Proliferation and
Disarmament.
The ARF includes a biennial civil-military disaster relief exercise, known as the ARF disaster relief
exercise (or DiREx) that Australia participates in. The first DiREx was held in the Philippines in
May 2009. The second DiREx was held in Manado, Indonesia in March 2011. The third DiREx was
held in Hua Hin, Thailand in May 2013 and the fourth DiREx took place in Kedah, Malaysia in May
2015.
The ARF has a 1.5 track body called the ARF Experts and Eminent Persons group (the EEPs) that
meets annually to provide advice and recommendations to ARF officials (known as Track
One). Second-track (i.e. non-official) institutions, such as the Council for Security Cooperation
in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) and the ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN
ISIS), also generate ideas and inputs for the ARFs consideration. The second-track institutions
and networks conduct a number of seminars and working groups on regional security issues,
involving academics, security specialists and officials participating in a personal capacity. The
Department has supported the activities of AUS-CSCAP (the Australian Member Committee of
the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific) since its establishment in 1992.
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the first regionwide Asia-Pacific multilateral forum for official
consultations on peace and security issues. An outgrowth of the annual ministerial-level meeting
of members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the states serving as
ASEANs dialogue partners, the ARF provides a setting for discussion and diplomacy and the
development of cooperative responses to regional problems. The inaugural ARF meeting was held
in July 1994 in Bangkok, Thailand, and was attended by 10 ASEAN members
(Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,
and Vietnam) and ASEANs 10 dialogue partners (Australia, Canada, China, the European
Union, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, New Zealand, and the United States). Papua New
Guinea and Mongolia joined the group in 1999, and North Korea was admitted in 2000.
Unique among international organizations of its type, the ARF is characterized by minimal
institutionalization, decision making by consensus, and the use of both first track (official) and
second track (nonofficial) diplomacy. Whereas first-track diplomatic meetings consist of
gatherings of leading officials to discuss security measures, second-track meetings consist of
scholars, government individuals not acting in their official capacity, private think tanks, and other
individuals and organizations. The Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific, which
discusses issues such as preventive diplomacy and confidence-building measures, is an example
of second-track diplomacy. The central role of second-track procedures distinguishes ARF from
most other international organizations, which generally treat non-official diplomatic measures as
residual and peripheral. ARF meetings are attended by foreign ministers and are held in
conjunction with the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference, which occurs annually in July. The chair
of the ARF is rotated annually. The ARF Chairmans Statement, the organizations official
declaration, is issued after each ARF meeting. The organization is supported by the ARF Senior
Officials Meeting (ARFSOM), which is held each May. The ARFSOM meeting is attended by senior
foreign ministry officials from all ARF countries; leading defense department officials also attend.
The meetings provide an exchange of views on regional political and security issues and
developments.

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