Appreciating, understanding the ASEAN concept

Appreciating, understanding the ASEAN concept

S. Pushpanathan, Assistant Director, External Relations
ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta

Since the financial crisis of 1997 and the Sept. 11 attacks of
2001 in the United States, ASEAN's relevance has been put under
the microscope.

The Bali bombing last October and the SARS outbreak early this
March further dented the image of ASEAN and questioned its resolve
to tackle the new challenges of terrorism and emerging communicable
diseases. Now, the Jakarta bombing of Aug. 5 has raised the question
as to how ASEAN would be tackling the terrorism problem at the
regional level.

ASEAN has done considerably well to deal with the problems at
hand. The financial crisis is by and large over with some
lingering after-effect on the ASEAN economies. Most ASEAN
economies have started to pick up gradually after the crisis and
are expected to achieve a growth of at least 4 percent this year.

The Bali bombing brought ASEAN even closer together to fight
terrorism as a region together with its partners such as China,
Japan, the European Union, the U.S. and Russia. A trilateral
agreement was adopted by Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
in 2002 to ensure border security with other member countries
gradually becoming parties to the agreement. An ASEAN work plan
on terrorism has been launched and activities have been lined-up
for implementation this year.

While we can provide justification for and against the
viability of ASEAN as the association celebrates its 36th
anniversary on Friday, it would be important first to appreciate
and understand what ASEAN is all about.

The association is not a supranational organization where the
ASEAN Secretariat has the mandate and legal instruments to direct
member countries and regional policies. It is an organization
that is very much led and paced by the member countries with the
Secretariat playing a coordinating and catalyst role.

ASEAN cooperation is premised on political commitments even
though the grouping has, in recent years, adopted a number of
binding agreements. It subscribes to the fundamental principles
of non-interference and respect for sovereignty and territorial
integrity of member countries, with consensus building playing an
important part in decision-making. This has been the key to
ASEAN's success in the last three decades.

Many a time, the consensus process has been cited as a major
obstacle slowing down ASEAN. However, it is important to see the
merits of such a process -- all agreements based on consensus
will have a binding effect on the member countries and there will
be commitment to move cooperation. Schemes, accords and
initiatives of the grouping such as the ASEAN Free Trade Area
(AFTA), the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty, and
the Initiative for ASEAN Integration were results of political
commitment to see a peaceful, prosperous and integrated Southeast
Asia.

The inability to address the financial crisis swiftly is often
highlighted as one of the major failures of ASEAN, along with
fighting terrorism. True, ASEAN could have done more and at a
more accelerated pace to tackle the crisis on hindsight but it
does not mean that ASEAN did nothing. Besides, bilateral
assistance, the member countries established the economic
surveillance mechanism to better anticipate any recurrence of a
similar crisis.

ASEAN is now linking up closely with the economies of the
U.S., EU, China, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Free
Trade Areas are being forged with many of these partners with
China and India taking the lead. A number of swap arrangements
have been secured within ASEAN and between ASEAN and the East
Asia Countries and an Asian Bond Market is in the offing which
would further ensure macroeconomic and financial stability in the
region.

ASEAN has taken steps to speed up AFTA and is looking at what
the region should be focusing on beyond AFTA. It is also working
on making the region a more attractive destination for
investments by promoting ASEAN as a single investment destination
with a menu of options for investors to choose from based on
their requirements such as level of job skills, natural resources
availability, technology and a supportive policy environment. A
competitiveness study has been initiated which has identified
sectors for integration which would enable ASEAN to compete with
other economies and increase trade.

The region is being integrated physically through road,
railway, power grids, gas pipelines and telecommunication
interconnections. The Sumatra-Singapore gas pipeline launched
this week would inject further momentum to the Trans ASEAN gas
pipeline project aimed at building a regional network allowing
the flow and trade of natural gas across borders.

The more developed ASEAN countries are helping the newer
member countries to integrate into the grouping through capacity
building programs under the IAI. In addition, these countries are
developing joint projects with ASEAN dialogue partners and among
themselves to help the newer member countries.

ASEAN has also brought about 36 years of peace and stability
to the region despite the bilateral and other squabbles among the
countries in the region. The grouping has helped to cultivate the
habit of consultation and resolving issues without resorting to
the use of force. It has increased the comfort levels among the
leaders, ministers and officials to discuss sensitive issues
openly and candidly and to preserve the credibility of ASEAN. It
has brought about greater economic interdependence among
countries and plugged the region into the global community.

ASEAN's contribution should be weighed against the purpose of
its creation and the necessary limitations it has imposed on
itself based on the lessons learnt from failed regionalism
attempts in the past. There is no second best option for the
region than ASEAN. Many of the dialog partners, including the EU
and the U.S. are now also engaging ASEAN apart from pursuing
bilateral relations with the individual member countries.

Once the realization that ASEAN is here to help create a
peaceful, prosperous and progressive environment for all
Southeast Asians sinks in, we will be able to appreciate the
vision that ASEAN is working towards in creating a concert of
nations, outward looking, living in peace, stability and
prosperity, bonded together in partnership in dynamic development
and in a community of caring societies. Then, every anniversary
of ASEAN would be more meaningful to the people of Southeast
Asia.

The views expressed above are personal.