• ASEAN
  ASSOCIATION of SOUTH EAST Asian NATIONS
    
• ASEAN-MEMBERS-SINGAPORE,MALAYSIA,VIETNAM,BURMA,BRUNEI, PHILIPPINES,THAILAND,INDONESIA,LAOS, CAMBODIA.     
• ASEAN HEADQUARTERS,JAKARTA
  
• About ASEAN
  
• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a geo-political and economic organization of 10 countries located in Southeast Asia.
  
• Formed on 8August1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since Now the membership has expanded to include Brunei,Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. 
•  If ASEAN were a single country, it would rank as the 9th largest economy in the world and the 3rd largest in Asia.
  
  
  
• The motivations for the birth of ASEAN
  
• Its members could concentrate on nation building,
  
• It was because of the common fear of communism,
  
• Desire for economic development in the region. 

The ASEAN way can be traced back to the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.

 

Fundamental principles adopted from this included:

 

Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity of all nations;

 

The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion or coercion;

 

Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;

Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner;

 

Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and

Effective cooperation among themselves".

• Aims of ASEAN
  
• Its aims include the acceleration of economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its members,
  
• The protection of the peace and stability of the region,
  
• To provide opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully
  
• ASEAN Charter
  
• On 15 December 2008 the members of ASEAN met in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to launch a charter, signed with the aim of moving closer to "an EU-style community".
  
•  The charter aims to create a single free-trade area for the region encompassing 500 million people.
  
• Upholding the United Nations Charter and international law, including international humanitarian law.
  
• The fundamental principles include,
  
• a) respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and national identity of all ASEAN Member States;
  
• b) shared commitment and collective responsibility in enhancing regional peace, security and prosperity; 
• c) renunciation of aggression and of the threat or use of force or other actions in any manner inconsistent with international law;
  
• d) reliance on peaceful settlement of disputes
  
• e) non-interference in the internal affairs of ASEAN Member States;
  
• f) respect for the right of every Member State to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion and coercion;
  
• g) enhanced consultations on matters seriously affecting the common interest of ASEAN;
  
• h) adherence to the rule of law, good governance, the principles of democracy and constitutional government;
  
• i) respect for fundamental freedoms, the promotion and protection of human rights, and the promotion of social justice;
  
  
  
• ROLE OF ASEAN
  
• During the 1990s, the bloc experienced an increase in membership.
• In 1990, Malaysia proposed the creation of an East Asia Economic Caucus composing the then-members of ASEAN as well as the People's Republic of China, Japan, and South Korea, with the intention of counterbalancing the growing influence of the United States in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as well as in the Asian region as a whole.
  
  
  
•  This proposal failed, because of heavy opposition from the United States and Japan. Despite this failure, member states continued to work for further integration and ASEAN Plus Three was created in 1997.
  
  
  
• On 15 December 1995, the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty was signed with the intention of turning Southeast Asia into a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. The treaty took effect on 28 March 1997. It became fully effective on 21 June 2001, effectively banning all nuclear weapons in the region
  
• In 2006, ASEAN was given observer status at the United Nations General Assembly. As a response, the organisation awarded the status of "dialogue partner" of the United Nations.
  
  
  
• On 26 August 2007, ASEAN stated that it aims to complete all its free trade agreements with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand by 2013, in line with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.