What is ASEAN?

Association of Southeast Asian Nation 10 Nations 1 Market•“ASEAN is moving gradually but progressively towards a shared future!

Countries Involve in ASEAN

ASEAN Community Councils

The ASEAN Community Councils came into force on 15 December 2008. The councils had provided the institutional framework required to achieve the ASEAN Community by 2015. Under the requirements of the Charter, this forms the newly approved organizational structure of the ASEAN Secretariat .The ASEAN Community Councils includes the three pillars of ASEAN.

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ASEAN Community Goals

The ASEAN Community shall be established comprising three pillars, namely political and security community, economic community, and socio-cultural community that are closely intertwined and mutually reinforcing for the purpose of ensuring durable peace, stability, and shared prosperity in the region.

Three Pillars of ASEAN

This are the most crucial areas deemed necessary for the progress and evolution of ASEAN and its peoples.

1) ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint

The APSC Blueprint promotes political stability, democracy and good governance among the member countries. It also contains the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms to enhance political development.As the rule of law, human rights is addressed as a rules-based community of shared values and norms.

1) ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint

Under APSC, lists of specific action are to be undertaken by ASEAN member states to promote and protect human rights including the rights of migrant workers, the rights of women and children and other civil society organizations as well as to education and public awareness on human rights.

1) ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint

Another characteristic under a cohesive, peaceful and resilient region with shared responsibility for comprehensive security involves important human rights issues relating to trafficking in persons and counterterrorism.

1) ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint

The APSC Blueprint also suggests strengthening criminal justice responses to trafficking in persons and enhancing cooperation to combat people-smuggling.

2) ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint

The AEC Blueprint fosters equitable and stable economic development on a global level. It includes establishment of a single market, production base and regional competitiveness.

The AEC Blueprint fosters equitable and stable economic development on a global level. It includes establishment of a single market, production base and regional competitiveness.

Single Market and Production Base

Liberalization Facilitation

free flow of goods - tariff and non-tariff barrier (NTB) eliminationsynchronized external tariff alignment

- customs integration standards and technical barriers to trade

free flow of services

- full market access and national treatment- remove substantially all restrictions on trade in services

 - mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs) on professional services; professional exchange

Liberalization Facilitation

free flow of investment

- all industries and services incidental to these industries to ASEAN investors

- transparency; streamlined procedures, avoidance of double taxation; joint promotion

free flow of capital - relax capital control measures on intra-ASEAN portfolio investments

- harmonize capital market standard; facilitate market driven efforts to establish exchange and debt market linkages

Single Market and Production Base

Liberalization Facilitation

free flow of skilled labor

- remove discrimination on employment

- harmonization of standards in education and training; MRA on vocational training

Single Market and Production Base

conduct a biannual review to monitor status, progress, and effectiveness of the PIS road maps to ensure timely implementation.identify sector-specific projects or initiatives through regular dialogues or consultation with stakeholders, particularly the private sector.

Priority Integration Sectors (PIS)

•enhance trade and long-term competitiveness of ASEAN food, agriculture, and forestry products.

•promote cooperation with international and regional organizations and the private sector.

A. Food, Agriculture and Forestry

•develop a competitive policy•strengthen consumer protection•regional cooperation in intellectual property rights (IPRs)•regional cooperation in infrastructure development•complex network of bilateral agreements on avoidance of double taxation•promote electronic commerce (e-commerce)

B. Competitive Economic Region

• accelerate the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)• enhance the initiative for ASEAN Integration (IA) to narrow the development gap.

C. Equitable Economic Development

• Achieve the coherent approach towards external economic relations, including its negotiations for free trade area (FTAs) and comprehensive economic partnerships (CEP) agreements• Enhance participation in global supply networks

D. Integration into the Global Economy

3) ASEAN Socio-cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint

The ASCC Blueprint establishes a socially responsible ASEAN community with the view of achieving as well as building a sharing and caring society to fill the gap at the country level.

3) ASEAN Socio-cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint

The goal of the ASCC Blueprint is to enhance the well-being and provide equitable access to human resource. It calls for access to primary healthcare of the vulnerable groups or people at risk.

3) ASEAN Socio-cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint

This is in line with the Declaration of the Right to Development by the UN General Assembly on 4 December 1986. Three objectives are set to achieve the ASCC Blueprint: advancing and prioritizing education, investing in human resource development and promotion of decent work.