ASEAN Inon A

Fwith

 

 

Dear Rea This moof ASEAthe Actinthe Ambto ASEAthe  progKhanifa Pengetafocuses o Enjoy rea With bes Managin  

sights is a moSEAN issues. Faculty of Soch the support f

F

aders,  

nth’s editionAN future. Thng Head of tbassador   ExAN, provides gress  of  ASE  from the  Indhuan  Indone on the progr

ading! 

st wishes, 

ng Editor 

nthly newslet The newslettecial and Politicfrom the Missi

From t

n of ASEAN he article wr the ASEAN Ixtraordinary us with theEAN  in  specdonesian  Insesia, LIPI)  is ress of ASEA

tter which aimer is publishedcal Sciences, Uion of the Repu

he Edit

  Insights  focritten by  I G  ndonesia Sey  and Plenipe big picturecific  sector, stitute of Sc a good star

AN’s ICT Age

ms to provide imd by ASEAN StUniversitas Indublic of Korea 

tors 

cuses on theede Ngurahecretariat anotentiary of. To give a g  the  secondciences  (Lemrting point. Tnda. 

mportant insigtudy Center, donesia,  to ASEAN. 

e prospects h Swajaya  , nd formerly f  Indonesia  glimpse on   article  by 

mbaga  Ilmu  The article 

    

B

MShofw

Fi

SB

Layo

  

 ghts 

Conten

Articles 

ASEAN CoChallengesPushing foAgenda 

 

ASEAN U ASEAN DeMarches toImplementCommunitASEAN InsReconciliatWomen’s PProcesses a

 

 

ASEAN StuDepartmeRelations Faculty ofSciences UniversitaNusantaraDepok, WTel & Faxemail: ase

Board of EdEdy Prasety

Evi FitrianBantarto Ban

 Managing Ewan Al Banna C

 nancial MaYuni Reti Int

 upporting Bambang H. Nu

 out & Cove

Ivan Sanjay

 

nts 

 

ommunity Post 2s To Move Forwarward ASEAN’s 

 Updates 

efence Cooperatowards the tation of ASEANty 2015 stitute for Peacetion Holds Work Participation in P and Conflict Res

Vol. 11

udy Center ent of Internatio f Social and Pol

as Indonesia a 2 Building, 2n

West Java - Indox: +6221 787374eanstudycenter

 

ditors ono ni ndoro 

 Editor Choiruzzad 

anager tarti 

 Team ugroho 

er Design ya 

 2015 : ard 

 

1 

 ICT  4 

 

tion 

N 

 

 

7 

e and kshop on  Peace solution 

7 

 

 

1/April/2015After 2015

onal

litical

d Floor nesia

44 r@ui,ac,id

 

 

 

 

5 5

ASEAN Community Post 2015 Ngurah Swajaya   

1 

   

This year, ASEAN will officially announce the establishment of the ASEAN Community, comprising of three mutually reinforcing pillars of Political-Security, Economic and Socio-Culture. Since then, citizens of 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS) are expected to experience a sense of caring and sharing Community and to continue enjoying sustained peace, security, stability, and the pursuit of prosperity for all. For ASEAN as an organization, it will continue deepening and broadening integration process and strengthening a more cohesive, inclusive, and resilient Community that could play an active role at the regional and global levels in line with the spirit of the ASEAN Community in a Global Community of Nations. As adopted by the 21st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, November 2012, the establishment of the ASEAN Community will not only mark as the official beginning ASEAN Community, but also serves a new start of a deeper and broadened integration. ASEAN will continue to implement the remaining Blueprint’s action lines and measures that are not yet implemented and to

start charting for a new vision that will consolidate further Community building in the years to come. The adoption of the new vision at the same time with the establishment of the ASEAN Community will make a seamless phase of transition that will enable ASEAN to continuously and effectively attain its main goals and objectives. Since its inception 48 years ago, ASEAN has been transformed from a loosely organized Association to a Rules-Based and Peoples-Centered Organization. After the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter at the end of 2008, integration process has been accelerated and ASEAN has strengthened its role as the driving force in many regional initiatives for maintaining peace and stability and promoting prosperity. Consequently, ASEAN has been considered as a model of regional integration and has attracted many external partners to develop cooperation on issues of common concerns. Currently, there are more than 70 countries accredited their Ambassadors to ASEAN, and mostly are located in Jakarta.

ASEAN Community Post 2015 : Challenges to Move Forward 

I Gede Ngurah Swajaya Ambassador, Acting Head of ASEAN‐Indonesia National Secretariat   

ASEAN Community Post 2015 Ngurah Swajaya   

2 

  ASEAN has also been confronted with challenges and utilized opportunities that emerged from internal and external dynamics. It has been able to effectively contribute as part of solutions on many issues, including the Cambodian internal conflict, democratization process in Myanmar, 1997 financial crisis, natural calamities such as Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, as well as the tensions that emerged from the unresolved territorial disputes, particularly in the South China Sea that are complex and complicated in nature. ASEAN remains resolute in resolving all of those challenges and steadfast in pursuing its community building process. ASEAN has also been effective in addressing non-traditional security issues that have posed as a critical challenge in its effort to maintain the regional peace and stability. It has strengthened cooperation in the past decades mainly on 8 priority issues and should also move beyond only cooperating to address those existing priority areas. To maintain its relevance and to address new and emerging challenges, ASEAN should expand its collaboration covering other essential areas that has been identified in the Political Security Community Blueprint, such as combating corruption and illegal fishing. On the economic side, ASEAN should also continue to strive in strengthening its economic resilience so as to enable it to prevent and mitigate possible similar crisis in the future. Lessons that have been learned from the previous crisis have enabled it to develop and strengthen instruments and mechanisms to address similar challenges in the future. The establishment of the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization Plus as the bilateral swap agreement and the implementation of the ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity, to name a just a few, are ASEAN's concrete efforts aimed at strengthening its economic resilience and improve its competitiveness. Based on the ASEAN Development Bank Institute study on RICH (Resilience, Innovative, Competitive and Harmonious) ASEAN 2030, the per-capita GDP of ASEAN is predicted to double or triple by 2030 provided that ASEAN remains resilience, innovative, competitive and harmonious. Thus, the strengthened integration of three mutually reinforcing pillars of the ASEAN Community remains the most important prerequisite for ASEAN to attain its goals and objectives. The establishment of the ASEAN Community by the end of December 2015 is not only symbolic in nature, but also serves

as a significant impetus to continue pursuing its goals and objectives beyond 2015. As the region is also prone to natural calamities, including the impacts of climate change and other environment disasters, strengthening ASEAN cooperation on those areas is critical. This includes, among others, strengthening its instruments and mechanisms on disaster management, such as the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Centre (AHA Centre) and in addressing trans-boundary health issues. Closer people-to-people interactions through many initiatives such as education, culture, sport, and youth exchange are also critical in this regards. From the internal dynamics, issues such as consolidating the implementation of democratic values, strengthening the human rights protection, and implementing good governance equally require stronger and meaningful resolve by all AMS. The adoption of the first ever ASEAN Declaration on Human Rights should be followed by concrete efforts to strengthen the ASEAN Human Right Mechanism through the review process that is due to be undertaken this year. Furthermore, raising awareness on ASEAN should remain the top priority since ASEAN awareness is very low among its citizens. Despite the progress it has achieved in maintaining its relevance in almost 5 decades, ASEAN has to continue strengthening its resolve to address new and emerging challenges that may be equally complex and difficult. Creating conducive environment and ensuring effective progress to support peaceful settlement of all disputes, particularly the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, should remain the main focus and priority for the ASEAN. Concrete progress in effectively implementing the Declaration of the Conduct in the South China Sea (DOC) and in the process to develop the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) remains critical in the ASEAN Community Post-2015. Effectively managing the power rivalry that potentially emerged from the dynamics of the rise of China, the implementation of the United States Pivot to Asia, the Look East Policy of India and the Indivisible Security Concept of the Russian Federation requires ASEAN to effectively continue strengthening its centrality. In the past five years prior to the establishment of the ASEAN Community, ASEAN has established and strengthened various mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Defense Ministerial

ASEAN Community Post 2015 Ngurah Swajaya   

3 

  Meeting Plus and the ASEAN Maritime Forum and its Expanded Forum to serve as effective platforms for dialogues and cooperation. Such mechanisms have further strengthened ASEAN’s continuous undertakings to nurture the habit of constructive dialogues and to shape the culture of peace in the region and beyond. The official launching of the ASEAN Community at the end of this year should, therefore, not only provide a solid platform for the organization to reaffirm its commitment to strengthen the effective works of its mechanisms, but also serve a significant impetus to continue implementing actions and measures that have passed the target date and to steadfastly move forward in implementing its vision for the next decades. This will also mark the beginning of a deeper and broader integration process which will be guided by the Leaders’ Vision currently being developed by the ASEAN High Level Task force. The Leaders decision to develop their Vision on an ASEAN Community post-2015 exemplifies their common perception that future challenges remain complex and opportunities are still significant to be further utilized, and therefore require a stronger ASEAN determination. As the organization is located at the center of the most dynamic and vibrant region in geo-political and geo-economic terms, the roles of ASEAN as the regional fulcrum in the past decades remain essential. Its ability to successfully establish the ASEAN Community and strengthen further its commitment to be elaborated in the Post 2015 Vision, are essential to enhance its relevance in the region and beyond. In the past years, all ASEAN Chairs have underlined that ASEAN should be people-centered and people-oriented as stipulated in the ASEAN Charter. Malaysia’s chairmanship also emphasizes this dimension. Therefore, one of the main priorities in the Post 2015 should be an effective engagement of ASEAN citizens in the works of ASEAN and a greater understanding of ASEAN initiatives and projects. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak emphasized that, “We also hope to steer ASEAN closer to the people of Southeast Asia: to make this institution part of people’s daily lives, by creating a truly people-centered ASEAN”. In this context, interface of the civil society organizations with the ASEAN Leaders during the Summit should become an annual agenda. Similarly, interactions should also be further strengthened at the Ministerial and Senior Officials levels.

The strengthening of ASEAN’s institutional mechanisms, including the ASEAN Secretariat has been the key priority in the past years. The recommendations of the High-Level Task Force on the Strengthening of the ASEAN Secretariat and Reviewing ASEAN Organs have been endorsed by the 24th Summit in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Key recommendations include strengthening the Secretariat’s capacity to facilitate concrete implementations and monitoring of ASEAN decisions and agreements. The ASEAN Secretariat should become the nerve and knowledge centre of ASEAN works. In addition, ASEAN institutions should also work in a more coherence and coordinated manner in ensuring that all targets and goals are effectively attained. Strengthening institutional coordination through, among others, the strengthening the Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) in Jakarta and the National Secretariat in the respective AMS is also required. Recommendations Finally, ASEAN should ensure that the construction of a post-2015 ASEAN vision should emphasize the following. First, a continuation of an on-going process to develop an inclusive process which is open to engage ASEAN citizens, and not a closed process that remains solely in the domain of eminent people, experts and political leaders. The lack of dynamism in the exchanges among the stakeholders in ASEAN constrains the quality of policy initiatives and their ownership of these processes. Second, it should also enable ASEAN to address new and emerging challenges and continue to play its roles in a global community of nations on issues of common concerns and continues to strengthen its centrality in all initiatives it has created. Third, strengthening the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta and ensuring a better coordinated and coherence process of different mechanisms. Lastly, ASEAN should also strengthen the implementation of the three Community Blueprints in a mutually reinforcing manner, which means ASEAN should avoid advancing only one pillar while neglecting the others.

Pushing forward ASEAN's ICT Agenda Khanisa   

4 

  [Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position the text box anywhere in the document. Use the Text Box Tools tab to change the formatting of the pull quote text box.] 

The inclusion of cyber aspect as a regional development agenda is not a new issue among ASEAN members. Its importance has been recognized since the early 2000s. E-ASEAN framework is one of ASEAN’s milestones in embracing the cyber domain potentials. The progress continued and one decade later, in 2011, the ASEAN ICT Masterplan 2015 (AIM 2015) was launched. Although this document is developed under the economic pillar of ASEAN Community, it has a holistic approach. It was designed to be interrelated with various issues such as cyber security, engagement with private sectors and empowering public audience. However, while ASEAN keeps making progress on developing framework for cyber implementation, at the national level, many states are still struggling to close the digital divide among them. A study by Net Index in 2014 shows that Singapore’s average Internet Speed reaches as high as 61 Mbps, way above the regional average of 12.4 Mbps (ASEAN Briefings, 2014). This disparity is also shown in the percentage of Internet penetration. According to 2014’s data, the three wealthiest ASEAN member states, namely Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia, are leading the penetration rate above 60%, while the rest of ASEAN members are left behind with even less than 50% penetration rate (Internet World Stats, 2014).

Digital divide is not only a means to differentiate states by their access or capability in embracing ICT. It also has political repercussion as it creates two polar of the “connected” and “disconnected” and raise the sentiment of inequality in related fields (Selwyn, 2004). In the economic sector in particular, the impact of digital divide can be seen on the asymmetry of economic advantage that can be gained from ICT implementation such as the increase of productivity and effective spending on production cost (Antonelli, 2003). Based on these understanding, digital divide will be a significant obstacle that ASEAN has to overcome if the organization wants to ensure that ICT becomes one of the key drivers in regional development. These disparities among member states will cause long term effect on regional development. Moreover, it will eventually affect the “balance of power” within the region and bargaining position of the region as a whole. However, such situation should not discourage ASEAN member states to push the agenda forward. ICT agenda is still worth pursuing and the current condition is probably not as bad as it seems. At least there are three reasons that can motivate ASEAN to keep pushing this issue forward.

Pushing forward ASEAN’s ICT Agenda Khanisa Researcher at the Center for Political Studies, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (P2P LIPI)  

Pushing forward ASEAN's ICT Agenda Khanisa   

5 

  

  

The first reason is the availability of regional strategy. As mentioned in the beginning of this article, ASEAN already has AIM 2015. The document is a good foundation that can be used as a blueprint of cyber development in ASEAN. Its six strategic thrusts were built upon challenges as well as future goals on developing cyber-based or cyber-supported economy in ASEAN. Although putting challenges and goals in one framework seems peculiar, it can be understood better if those strategies are read from the bottom to the top. The three bottom tiers, namely bridging digital divide, human capital and infrastructure, should be seen as three basic enquiries that have to be solved before heading to the top tier, namely innovation, empowering people and transforming to cyber economy. With the date of ASEAN Community approaching, it is important for ASEAN to step up their phase on implementing AIM 2015. With regards to their rate of accomplishment, in 2013, the Minister for Communications and Information of Singapore, Yaacob Ibrahim declared that “two-thirds of the planned project has been completed” (Futuregov Asia, 2013). However, judging from the existing digital divide in 2014, we might need to find out how much difference it would make when all the projects are finally implemented. The latest ASEAN Telecommunication Minister meeting held in early 2015 indicates that although the realization of AIM 2015 is not done yet, several progress have nevertheless been made such as reducing roaming rate between Brunei and Singapore, formulating strategic policies on ICT regulation, building several important infrastructures, capacity building through educational training and strengthening cyber-security cooperation (14th ASEAN TELMIN Meetings Joint Media Statement, 2015). The second reason is the growing public demand of cyber connectivity in the region. In this regard, the growth of smart phone usage and high influence of social media involvement contribute to the

increasing public awareness of the availability of access. According to the latest figure released by ASEAN, in 2012 the mobile phone density per 1000 persons have reached the level where in almost all ASEAN member states except Myanmar everyone has their own mobile phone (ASEAN Community in Figures, 2014). Furthermore, there is a staggering regional growth of mobile phone subscribers from 22 million in 2000 to 713 million in 2013 (ITU, 2015). This shows that the possibility of advancement in this particular area will only be more remarkable in the future. The growing public demand for reliable connection in the region is not only caused by the increasing interest to social media. From using social media as an e-commerce platform to gather support for online activism, it is hard to deny that social media has become one important aspect in ASEAN. A cooperative survey done under ASEAN Telmin back in 2010, Facebook was named one of the top most accessed website in the region (ASEAN e-Commerce

Vision and Strategic Thrusts (Source: ASEAN ICT Masterplan 2015)

Pushing forward ASEAN's ICT Agenda Khanisa   

6 

  Database, 2010). This finding is backed by the fact that many ASEAN member states have a high number of Facebook users. According to Accenture survey, Bangkok and Jakarta hold the position of cities with the most Facebook users with 8,7 million and 7,4 million recorded users, respectively (Accenture, 2012). The ASEAN Secretariat also actively uses Facebook to engage the public through its official page. The final reason is the fact that some ASEAN members are more advanced compared to the rest in terms of ICT development. While, as mentioned at the beginning of this article that this fact signifies a gap among the Southeast Asian countries, it nevertheless also presents an opportunity for greater cooperation among ASEAN members. For instance, the more advanced members can be the motor that push the agenda forward by sharing their success story and developing transfer technology program. Furthermore, fostering cooperation can build the sense of togetherness which in turn will contribute to ASEAN unity. From a broader perspective, such cooperation will not only give benefit to the receiving states but can also increase the regional cyber capacity as a whole. At this particular point, having Malaysia as the ASEAN chair in the final year towards the commencement of the ASEAN Community can be advantageous to the grouping. According to the Networked Readiness Index 2014, Malaysia is currently ranked 30th globally, or the second-highest among all ten ASEAN members (The Global Information Technology Report, 2014). As one of the most ICT-advanced states in the region, Malaysia has an integrated vision on ICT development drafted in several documents such as the Malaysian Public Sector ICT Strategic Plan (2011-2015) and National Cyber security Strategy. With such remarkable level of preparedness, Malaysia can be an example of ICT best practices in the region. Additionally, it can also engage Singapore, whose level of ICT development is even higher, to help others to catch up in ICT development. Being the ASEAN Chairman, Malaysia sits under the perfect spotlight and it should use its position to tighten the loose ends of the regional ICT strategy. There can be more than three reasons why ASEAN member states must be optimistic to push the ICT agenda, yet the most important thing is not searching for more reasons but to strengthen the states’ commitment to accomplish what they have envisioned. Moreover, as each state actually

already has advanced groups of people in ICT, ASEAN can also gain advantage from embracing these local experts to socialize the accomplishment that have been gained so far. The further step that can be taken is to put “people-centered” ASEAN into realization in ICT program by increasing the involvement of regional experts in drafting a plan of action and ensuring its implementation. Such ways can improve ASEAN image and significance in the eyes of the public audience which can also help build the sense of ownership of ASEAN among its people.

References “Asia Internet Use, Population Data and Facebook Statistics” Internet World Stats. http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats3.htm#asia Last Accessed: 7 March 2015  “Internet Speeds Across ASEAN.” ASEAN Briefings. 24 April 2014. http://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/2014/04/24/internet‐speeds‐across‐asean.html Last Accessed: 7 March 2015  “Joint Media Statement on 14th ASEAN Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers Meeting and Related Meetings.” ASEAN Secretariat. 27 January 2015.   http://www.asean.org/news/asean‐statement‐communiques/item/joint‐media‐statement Last Accessed: 7 March 2015  “Mobile‐Cellular Suscription.” http://www.itu.int/en/ITU‐D/Statistics/Documents/statistics/2014/Mobile_cellular_2000‐2013.xls File downloaded from International Telecommunication Union   http://www.itu.int/en/ITU‐D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx Last Accessed: 7 March 2015  “The ASEAN E‐Commerce Database Project. (November 2010)” ASEAN Secretariat.  http://www.asean.org/resources/item/asean‐e‐commerce‐database‐project‐2 Last Accessed: 7 March 2015 Accenture. Surfing Southeast Asia’s Powerful Digital Wave. (Singapore: Accenture, 2012)  Antonelli, Cristiano. “The digital divide: understanding the economics of new information and communication technology in the global economy.” Information Economics and Policy 15 (2003): 173–199.  ASEAN Secretariat. ASEAN Community in Figures ACIF 2013. (Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, 2014)   ASEAN Secretariat. ASEAN ICT Masterplan 2015. (Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, 2011  Basu, Medha. “ASEAN Ministers emphasise cooperation in ICT initiatives.” Futuregove Asia. 18 November 2013,   http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/asean‐ministers‐emphasise‐cooperation‐in‐ict‐initiatives Last Accessed: 7 March 2015  Bilbao‐Osorio, Beñat, Soumitra Dutta, and Bruno Lanvin (Eds.) The Global Information Technology Report 2014: Reward and Risks of Big Data. (Geneva: World Economic Forum & INSEAD, 2014) Selwyn, Neil. “Reconsidering political and popular understandings of the digital divide.” New Media & Society 6:3 (2004): 341‐362.

ASEAN UPDATES  1 

 

 

 

ASEAN UPDATES

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

(Sou

rce: ASE

AN Secretaria

t New

s) 

ASEAN Defence Cooperation Marches towards the Implementation of ASEAN Community 2015

The ASEAN Defence Ministers pledged to move forward to implement the ASEAN Community at the 9th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) in Langkawi, Malaysia, on 19 March. The meeting produced a joint statement highlighting several issues, including regional cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), the maintenance of peace and security, as well as combating terrorism.

Regarding regional cooperation on HADR, the Defence Ministers adopted two key documents, namely the Concept Paper on ASEAN Militaries Ready Group on HADR, and the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Utilization of Military Assets for HADR. The two documents will complement the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), particularly in regulating the involvement of military assets in disaster relief operations. Meanwhile, regarding the maintenance of regional peace and security, the Ministers underscored the importance of freedom of navigation in, and over-flight above, the South China Sea, and undertook practical measures to avoid misunderstanding and undesirable incidents at sea. Finally, the Defence Ministers also agreed to strengthen cooperation to combat terrorism and extremism in accordance with domestic and international law, as well as existing regional frameworks, through information-sharing, increasing surveillance, and increasing awareness among the public about the threat of radicalism. (Source: ASEAN Secretariat News)

ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation Holds Workshop on Women’s Participation in Peace Processes and Conflict Resolution

The ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR) held a workshop to strengthen women’s participation in peace processes and conflict resolution in Cebu City, Philippines on 18-19 March. In addition to highlighting the level of women’s participation in peace processes and conflict resolution in the region, the workshop also aimed to raise awareness on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, and on existing National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security. The event was attended among others by members of the AIPR Governing Council, Ambassadors of ASEAN Member States to ASEAN, Ambassadors of Japan and Norway to ASEAN, the ASEAN Secretariat and representatives from all ASEAN Member States. The workshop itself was organized by the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to ASEAN with the support from Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund 2.0 (JAIF 2.0) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway. The workshop produced a number of recommendations. First, AIPR should continue to provide a platform to discuss women’s participation in peace processes and conflict resolution. Second, AIPR should organize trainings and workshops for women to become peace mediators. Third, AIPR should consider organizing an ASEAN network of women on peace and security, including a pool of experts on peace mediation. Lastly, AIPR should consider establishing a “knowledge hub” of resources related to peace. Besides coming up with those recommendations, participants of the meeting also expressed their support to the peace process of the Philippines with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and raised the possibility of AIPR to establish a closer link with UN Women, in line with the implementation of the plan of action to strengthen ASEAN-UN relations. (Source: ASEAN Secretariat News)