'ASEAN should be more like NATO'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): An American scholar says the Association of
\nSouth East Asian Nations (ASEAN) should revamp its structure and
\ngive its secretary-general greater executive power.<\/p>\n
Donald E. Weatherbee of South Carolina University, in a
\nseminar titled Wither ASEAN? held on Thursday at the Centre for
\nStrategic and International Studies (CSIS), compared ASEAN with
\nthe North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).<\/p>\n
He concluded that, for ASEAN to be more effective, the annual
\nadministrative meeting of the association's secretariat should
\ninvolve ministers other than just the member-countries' foreign
\nministers.<\/p>\n
As an example of such a structure, Weatherbee cited NATO's
\ncouncil, in which the secretary-general stands on an equal
\nfooting with ambassadors or foreign ministers to NATO.<\/p>\n
NATO, established in 1949, holds meetings twice a year which
\nare attended by foreign, defense and finance ministers of its
\nmember states. NATO's council determines NATO's policies, assumes
\nfinancial and administrative responsibility for NATO on behalf of
\nthe member states and supplies necessary linkages between NATO's
\ncivilian and military bodies.<\/p>\n
Weatherbee said ASEAN's secretariat should have an \"executive
\nfunction\", instead of serving merely as a clerical, bureaucratic
\ncenter.<\/p>\n
\"I think ASEAN should be able to make decisions, make policy,
\nand have a secretariat which sometimes has an executive function
\nand not just a clerical, bureaucratic, bookkeeping or agenda-
\nkeeping function,\" Weatherbee said.<\/p>\n
ASEAN was formed in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the
\nPhilippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei became the sixth
\nmember in 1984. Vietnam followed in July this year, as the first
\ncommunist state to join the association.<\/p>\n
The ASEAN secretariat, which is based in Jakarta, was
\nestablished to provide for greater efficiency in the coordination
\nand implementation of policies, projects and activities of the
\nvarious ASEAN organs.<\/p>\n
Its function is as the channel for formal communications
\nbetween various bodies and committees of ASEAN and between
\ngovernments and institutions.<\/p>\n
It also serves as the focal point of communication between
\nforeign governments, organizations and the association.<\/p>\n
ASEAN leaders in their last summit in Singapore three years
\nago agreed to give the ASEAN secretary-general greater executive
\npower and that the position should be elevated a ministerial
\nlevel. They picked Dato' Ajit Singh, a senior Malaysian diplomat,
\nto become the first chief of the revamped secretariat.<\/p>\n
Weatherbee, who specializes in the politics and international
\nrelations of Southeast Asia, has taught at universities in ASEAN
\ncountries, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.<\/p>\n
His most recent publications include Southeast Asia at Mid-
\ndecade: Independence Through Interdependence in Southeast Asian
\nAffairs 1995.<\/p>\n
He said that unless ASEAN becomes more formally structured,
\nreaching consensus on various issues will become more difficult.<\/p>\n
All ASEAN decisions are made on a consensus basis. (01)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-should-be-more-like-nato-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }