INTRODUCTION: ASEAN's QUEST FOR REGIONAL INTEGRATION

In December 1997, the ASEAN Vision 2020 statement outlined the notion of a single community in Southeast Asia, which, by 2020 would be “a concert of Southeast Asian nations, outward looking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in partnership in dynamic development, and in a community of caring societies.” It was the first attempt to pull together the different spheres of regional cooperation — political, economic and social — that had, up to then, pursued largely separate paths in progressing the Association's goals in each of the areas. The 9th ASEAN Summit in 2003 defined the three “community pillars” that formed the foundation for a single integrated ASEAN Community, which are “closely intertwined and mutually reinforcing for the purpose of endurable peace, stability and shared prosperity in the region”. The “deadline” for achieving this was shortened from 2020 to 2015 at the 12th ASEAN Summit in 2007.

One can argue that ASEAN is already a community, mainly because the member states — and the numerous dialogue and development partners — have willed it to be so. Yet, there are views expressing doubt about ASEAN's ability to create a single market and production base by 2015. Analysts attribute this gap between commitment and implementation to a lack of identification with mutual benefits under regional cooperation. ASEAN sceptics point to the tendency of ASEAN members to prioritise national interest over regional commitment.

ASEAN INTEGRATION GOALS

ASEAN's first decade was focused largely on consolidating the Association's foundations, and establishing the necessary mechanisms and processes for regional cooperation. The years 1977 to 1997 were ASEAN's expansion years. External relations through the Dialogue Partner system were established, expanding steadily to the current number of ten full Dialogue Partners and one sectoral partner. These two decades were also the years of expanding ASEAN membership. The present decade spanning 2008 up to the ASEAN Community's planned announcement in 2015 constitutes ASEAN's community-building years, where documents including the ASEAN Charter (which entered into force in 2008), the Community Blueprints for each sphere of cooperation, and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan all emphasise joint effort for mutual benefits in achieving peace and prosperity for ASEAN's peoples.

PEACE

ASEAN as a political and security community has been the Association's raison d’être.