ASEAN's strategy for bringing ASEAN Community to reality

ASEAN's strategy for bringing ASEAN Community to reality

The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

ASEAN leaders adopted frameworks on Tuesday for the establishment of the ASEAN Security Community (ASC), the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) as three pillars for reaching the goal of an ASEAN Community by 2020.

Key points in the 12-point framework for the establishment of the ASC:

- It is envisaged that the ASC will bring ASEAN's political and security cooperation to a higher plane to ensure that countries in the region live at peace with one another and with the world at large in a just, democratic and harmonious environment.

-- ASC members shall rely exclusively on peaceful processes in the settlement of intra-regional differences and regard their security as fundamentally linked to that of other members and bound by geographic location, common vision and objectives.

-- The ASC, recognizing the sovereign right of the member countries to pursue their individual foreign policies and defense arrangements and taking into account the strong interconnections among political, economic and social realities, subscribes to the principle of comprehensive security as having broad political, economic, social and cultural aspects in consonance with the ASEAN Vision 2020 rather than to a defense pact, military alliance or a joint foreign policy.

-- ASEAN shall continue to promote regional solidarity and cooperation. Member countries shall exercise their rights to lead their national existence free from outside interference in their internal affairs.

-- The ASC shall contribute to further promoting peace and security in the wider Asia Pacific region, and reflect ASEAN's determination to move forward at a pace comfortable to all. In this regard, the ARF shall remain the main forum for regional security dialogue, with ASEAN as the primary driving force.

-- The ASC is open and outward looking in respect of actively engaging ASEAN's friends and dialogue partners to promote peace and stability in the region, and shall build on the ARF to facilitate consultation and cooperation between ASEAN and its friends and partners on regional security matters.

-- The ASC shall fully utilize the existing institutions and mechanisms within ASEAN with a view to strengthening national and regional capacities to counter terrorism, drug trafficking, trafficking in persons and other transnational crimes; and shall work to ensure that the Southeast Asian region shall remain free of all weapons of mass destruction. It shall enable ASEAN to demonstrate a greater capacity and responsibility of being the primary driving force of the ARF.

5-point direction for AEC establishment:

-- The AEC is the realization of the end-goal of economic integration as outlined in the ASEAN Vision 2020, to create a stable, prosperous and highly competitive ASEAN economic region in which there is a free flow of goods, services, investment and freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities by 2020.

-- The AEC shall establish ASEAN as a single market and production base, turning the diversity that characterizes the region into opportunities for business complementation making ASEAN a more dynamic and stronger segment of the global supply chain. ASEAN's strategy shall consist of the integration of ASEAN and enhancing ASEAN's economic competitiveness.

-- In moving towards the AEC, ASEAN shall, inter alia, institute new mechanisms and measures to strengthen the implementation of its existing economic initiatives including the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS) and ASEAN Investment Area (AIA).

-- The realization of a fully integrated economic community requires implementation of both liberalization and cooperation measures.

-- There is a need to enhance cooperation and integration activities in other areas. These will involve, inter alia, human resources development and capacity building; recognition of educational qualifications; closer consultation on macroeconomic and financial policies; trade financing measures; enhanced infrastructure and communications connectivity; development of electronic transactions through e-ASEAN; integrating industries across the region to promote regional sourcing; and enhancing private sector involvement.

Key points in the 6-point guidance for ASCC establishment.

-- ASEAN shall ensure that its work force shall be prepared for, and benefit from, economic integration by investing more resources for basic and higher education, training, science and technology development, job creation, and social protection. The development and enhancement of human resources is a key strategy for employment generation, alleviating poverty and socio-economic disparities, and ensuring economic growth with equity.

-- ASEAN shall further intensify cooperation in the area of public health, including in the prevention and control of infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and SARS, and support joint regional actions to increase access to affordable medicines. The security of the community is enhanced when poverty and diseases are held in check, and the peoples of ASEAN are assured of adequate health care.

-- The community shall intensify cooperation in addressing problems associated with population growth, unemployment, environmental degradation and transboundary pollution as well as disaster management in the region to enable individual members to fully realize their development potentials and to enhance the mutual ASEAN spirit.