The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) celebrates its 36th founding anniversary today, 8 August, with commemorative activities in the capitals of its 10 member countries.  Established in Bangkok in 1967 with the objectives of accelerating regional economic growth, social progress and development and promoting regional peace and stability, ASEAN has grown from a politically and culturally diverse region into one of the most successful regional groupings in the world today.

At 36, ASEAN is on track to achieve regional integration and greater economic complementary in line with the ASEAN Vision 2020.  ASEAN cooperation today encompasses the political, economic, cultural and functional areas.  Efforts are now focused on narrowing the development gap among its 10 member countries through the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI).  Measures are also being initiated geared towards the breaking down of physical, technical and fiscal barriers to intra-regional trade.  Even with the shifting economic challenges, ASEAN was able to advance the dates for the lowering, as well as elimination, of tariffs for numerous goods.

The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS), ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) and e-ASEAN are among the initiatives that the 10 ASEAN member countries have adopted to enhance competitiveness of the region in the face of increasing globalization.  The launching of the AFTA in 1992 aimed at increasing ASEAN’s competitive advantage as a single production unit has bolstered intra-ASEAN trade, which grew from 15 percent in the 1970s to 25 percent today.  ASEAN is at the same time steadfastly building its dialogue partnerships to expand trade outside the region.  The recently-signed ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) will help ASEAN expand its trade with the rest of the world.

Increasing ASEAN cooperation enables it to respond to emerging threats and challenges.  ASEAN countries banded together to minimize the impact of terrorism on the region’s economy.  The ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime provided the framework for regional cooperation that resulted in the arrest of suspected terrorists and helped foil further terrorist acts. Sub-regional arrangements were also entered into strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism.  The trilateral Agreement on Information Exchange and Establishment of Communication Procedures signed by Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines and to which Thailand and Cambodia later acceded is aimed at intensifying border security and crack down on subversive activities along their common borders.

ASEAN’s quick and collective action against the spread of SARS also mitigated its impact on the regional economy.   ASEAN Leaders met at Special Summit in Bangkok last April to draw up a common response to fight the SARS epidemic.  The follow-up meetings such as the ASEAN + 3 Aviation Forum on the Prevention and Containment of SARS in Manila and the Special ASEAN + 3 Health Ministers’ Meeting on SARS in Cambodia formulated guidelines and measures on how to control the SARS spread.   ASEAN’s concerted action resulted in the containment of the disease that by July the region had been declared SARS-free.