Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Association des nations de l'Asie du Sud-Est (ANASE)
Asociación de Naciones del Asia Sudoriental

Founded

1967-08-08 Bangkok Thailand

History

Established at a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the five founding Member States (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore (Singapore) and Thailand), on signature of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration).

Previous regional organizations H-XH4991 - Association of South-East Asia (ASA) and H-XH0131 - Maphilindo subsequently amalgamated with ASEAN.

Brunei Darussalam adhered on 1 Jan 1984, Vietnam on 28 Jul 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 23 Jul 1997 and Cambodia on 30 Apr 1999.

T-XT7635 - Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) and Declaration of ASEAN Concord were signed by member governments at first Summit, 24 Feb 1976, Bali (Indonesia). A second Summit was held in Aug 1977, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and the third Summit, Dec 1987, Manila (Philippines), resulting in the Manila Declaration. 'Protocol Amending the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation' enabled countries outside the ASEAN region to accede. At 4th Summit, 27-29 Jan 1992, Singapore, Heads of Government signed the Singapore Declaration and a T-XT9267 - Framework Agreement on Enhancing ASEAN Economic Cooperation; member countries also signed the T-XT9212 - Agreement on the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT), the main tool to establish F-XF5151 - ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA). Agreement on the establishment of a permanent Secretariat (in Jakarta) concluded 24 Feb 1976. T-XT7766 - Agreement on ASEAN Preferential Trading Arrangements (PTA) signed Feb 1977.

Statutes registered in '1/UNTS 22341'. Agreement on the establishment of ASEAN Secretariat registered in '1/UNTS 22342'.

Current Charter signed, 20 Nov 2007, and entered into force 15 Dec 2008, following which ASEAN operates under a new legal framework with new organs.

Aims

Accelerate 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; 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; promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields; provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities in educational, professional, technical and administrative spheres; collaborate more effectively for the greater utilization of agriculture and industries, expansion of trade, including the study of problems of international commodity trade, improvement of transportation and communications facilities and raising of living standards; promote Southeast Asian studies; maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes and explore all avenues for even closer cooperation.

Events

Activities

Structure

ASEAN Summit of Heads of State or Government (originally every 3 years, now biannual). 'ASEAN Coordinating Council' consisting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers (meets biannually). 'ASEAN Community Councils' (3): ASEAN Political-Security Community; ASEAN Economic Community; ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. 'ASEAN Sectoral Ministerial Bodies' organized under above-mentioned pillars.

I. 'ASEAN Political Security Community':

1. ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM), including: ASEAN Senior Political Officials Meeting; ASEAN Standing Committee (ASC); Senior Officials Meeting on Development Planning (SOMDP).

2. Commission on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ Commission), including: Executive Committee of the SEANWFZ Commission.

3. ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM), including: ASEAN Defence Senior Officials Meeting (ADSOM).

4. ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting (ALAWMM), including: ASEAN Senior Law Officials Meeting (ASLOM).

5. ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC); including: ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC); ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD); Directors-General of Immigration Departments and Heads of Consular Affairs Divisions of Ministries of Foreign Affairs Meetings (DGICM).

6. F-XF3004 - ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), including ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials Meeting (ARF SOM).

II. 'ASEAN Economic Community':

1. ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM), including: High Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI); ASEAN Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM).

2. F-XF5151 - ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) Council.

3. K-XK1537 - ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) Council.

4. ASEAN Finance Ministers Meeting (AFMM), including: ASEAN Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting (AFDM); ASEAN Directors-General of Customs Meeting (Customs DG).

5. ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF), including: Senior Officials Meeting of the Asean Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (SOM-AMAF); ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF).

6. ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM), including: ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME).

7. ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Minerals (AMMin), including ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Minerals (ASOMM).

8. ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology (AMMST), including: Committee on Science and Technology (COST).

9. ASEAN Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers Meeting (TELMIN), including: ASEAN Telecommunications Senior Officials Meeting (TELSOM); ASEAN Telecommunication Regulators' Council (ATRC).

10. ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting (ATM), including: ASEAN Senior Transport Officials Meeting (STOM).

11. ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meeting (M-ATM), including Meeting of the ASEAN National Tourism Organisations (ASEAN NTOs).

12. ASEAN Mekong Basin Development Cooperation (AMBDC), including: ASEAN Mekong Basin Development Cooperation Steering Committee (AMBDC SC); High Level Finance Committee (HLFC).

13. E-XE4112 - ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE).

14. E-XF2483 - ASEAN Promotion Centre on Trade, Investment and Tourism (ASEAN-JAPAN CENTRE).

III. 'ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community':

1. Conference of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI), including: Senior Officials Meeting Responsible for Information (SOMRI).

2. ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture and Arts (AMCA), including: Senior Officials Meeting for Culture and Arts (SOMCA).

3. ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting (ASED), including: Senior Officials Meeting on Education (SOM-ED).

4. ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM), including: ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM).

5. ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME), including: ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN).

6. Conference of the Parties to the T-XT0264 - ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, including: Committee (COM) under the COP to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

7. ASEAN Health Ministers' Meeting (AHMM), including ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD).

8. ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM), including: ASEAN Senior Labour Officials Meeting (SLOM); ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

9. ASEAN Ministers on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication (AMRDPE), including: ASEAN Senior Officials on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication (SOMRDPE).

10. ASEAN Ministerial Meeting for Social Welfare and Development (AMMWSD), including: ASEAN Senior Official's Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (SOMSWD).

11. ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth (AMMY), including: ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting on Youth (SOMY).

12. ASEAN Conference on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM).

13. E-XK2082 - ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).

14. E-XM5351 - ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) - functioning under T-XT0523 - ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER).

15. E-XG4384 - ASEAN Earthquake Information Centre (AEIC).

16. ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC).

17. F-XF4054 - ASEAN University Network (AUN).

'Committee of Permanent Representatives'. 'National Secretariats', in the Foreign Ministry of each ASEAN member country, each headed by a Director-General. Committees Abroad. ASEAN Chair; ASEAN Secretariat, headed by Secretary-General.

Also includes: F-XF5831 - ASEAN Foundation.

Other ASEAN Centres and Facilities not mentioned above:

• ASEAN Centre for the Development of Agricultural Cooperatives (ACEDAC);
• ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution;
• E-XE0014 - ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE);
• ASEAN-EC Management Centre (AEMC);
• E-XJ7714 - ASEAN Insurance Training and Research Institute (AITRI);
• E-XD6488 - South East Asian Central Banks Research and Training Centre (SEACEN Centre).

Instrumental in setting up: K-XK1900 - Southeast Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ).

Languages

Staff

Finance

Relations with Inter-Governmental Organizations

Relations with Non-Governmental Organizations

Publications

Members

Type I Classification

Type II Classification

Subjects ^*

UIA Org ID

XD0165