asean annual report 2011-2012

7/31/2019 ASEAN Annual report 2011-2012

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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967.

The Member States of the Association are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia.

For inquiries, contact:

The ASEAN SecretariatPublic Outreach and Civil Society Division70A Jalan SisingamangarajaJakarta 12110, IndonesiaPhone : (62 21) 724-3372, 726-2991Fax : (62 21) 739-8234, 724-3504E-mail : [email protected]

General information on ASEAN appears online at the ASEAN Website: www.asean.org

Catalogue-in-Publication Data

ASEAN Annual Report 2011-2012Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat, June 2012

341.2473061. ASEAN Association Southeast Asia

2. Regional Organisation Annual Report

ISBN 978-602-7643-04-8

The text of this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted with proper acknowledgement.

Copyright Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2012 All rights reserved

Photo Credit:

PAGE CREDIT2, 3 ASEAN Secretariat 20114 AP Images22-24 ASEAN Secretariat 201127 ASEAN Secretariat 201137 IDX Property 201259 ASEAN Performing Arts Featuring Viet Nam


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Association

of Southeast

Asian Nations

ASEAN 2015 Evolving Towards

annual report 2011-2012


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Table of ContentsForeword by the Secretary-General of ASEAN ............................................................................................................................................. 119 th and 20 th ASEAN Summit ........................................................................................................................................................................ 2

ASEANs Year in External Relations (June 2011-May 2012) .......................................................................................................................... 5

ASEAN CROSS-COMMUNITIES .................................................................................................................................... 17 ASEAN Connectivity ....................................................................................................................................................................... 19 ASEAN Coordinating Council .......................................................................................................................................................... 20 ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee ................................................................................................................................. 20 ASEAN Secretariats Outreach Activities .......................................................................................................................................... 22

ASEAN POLITICAL-SECURITY COMMUNITY (APSC) ................................................................................................. 25Introduction of ASEAN Political Security Community (APSC) .......................................................................................................... 27

ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Council .................................................................................................................... 28 ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) ....................................................................................................................................... 28Commission on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ Commission) ............................................................ 29

ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) ................................................................................................................................... 30 ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting (ALAWMM) .................................................................................................................................... 31 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) ......................................................................................................... 31 ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) ........................................................................................................................................................ 32Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) ........................................................................................................... 33

ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) ................................................................................................ 34

ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (AEC) ..................................................................................................................... 35Introduction of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) ...................................................................................................................... 37

ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Council ................................................................................................................................. 38 ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) ................................................................................................................................................. 38 ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) Council ......................................................................................................................................... 44 ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) Council ............................................................................................................................................ 48 ASEAN Finance Ministers Meeting (AFMM) .................................................................................................................................... 48 ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) ...................................................................................................... 49 ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) ................................................................................................................................. 50 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Minerals (AMMin) ............................................................................................................................ 51 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology (AMMST) .................................................................................................. 52 ASEAN Telecommunications and IT Ministers Meeting (TELMIN) .................................................................................................... 53 ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting (ATM) ..................................................................................................................................... 53Meeting of the ASEAN Tourism Ministers (M-ATM) ......................................................................................................................... 54

ASEAN Mekong Basin Development Cooperation (AMBDC) .......................................................................................................... 55

ASEAN SOCIO-CULTURAL COMMUNITY (ASCC) ....................................................................................................... 57Introduction of ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) ............................................................................................................. 59

ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council ......................................................................................................................... 60 ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) ..................................................................................................................... 61 ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture and Arts (AMCA) ............................................................................................................ 61 ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting (ASED) .................................................................................................................................. 62 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM) .................................................................................................... 63 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME) ................................................................................................................. 64Conference of the Parties (COP) to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution ........................................................ 64

ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM) ...................................................................................................................................... 65 ASEAN Labour Ministers Meeting (ALMM) ..................................................................................................................................... 66 ASEAN Ministers on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication (AMRDPE) ................................................................................. 67 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (AMMSWD) .................................................................................. 68 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Youth (AMMY) ................................................................................................................................. 68 ASEAN Conference on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) ................................................................................................................... 69 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Women (AMMW) ............................................................................................................................. 70 ASEAN Commission on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) ........................................... 71

ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Sports (AMMS) ............................................................................................................................... 72

OTHER INCLUSIONS ...................................................................................................................................................... 73 ASEAN Calendar of Meetings of June 2011 to May 2012 .............................................................................................................. 75

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Foreword by the Secretary-General of ASEAN

When we were puttingtogether our annualreport last year, ASEANand the world were facingeconomic uncertainties.One year on, the globaloutlook remained just asuncertain, if not worse.The European front islooking rather shaky overincreasing resistanceto austerity measures,and this had led some

economists to warn of a potential global meltdown. Whilethat has not happened, the economic slowdown is real.

At the time of publication of this Report, Foreign DirectInvestment (FDI) has shown its dip in the ASEAN Region.

In 2011, ASEAN FDI in ow amounts to US$ 88.9 billiona3.76% decline compared to 2010. The trend for the rstquarter of 2012 seems to be following a similar track.

But despite these numbers, our economies are expectedto remain in positive territory. As a group, the numbersindicate that ASEAN economies continue to attractattention from serious investors.

In 2011, we boasted a combined GDP of US$2.2 trillion

up from US$1.9 trillion in 2010. We also posted arespectable growth of 5%. Our commitment to free tradesaw our total trade soaring to a record US$ 2.4 trillion up from US$ 2 trillion in 2010.

This is not the rst time that ASEAN had faced downseverity. Together with our Dialogue Partner China, wehave weathered the Financial Crises of 1997, and againin 2008. We rebounded so strongly in 2010, that ASEANbecame one of the fastest growing regions of the world,with a combined economic growth of 7.5%.

While we take comfort in our achievements, we shouldalso ask: How long can we continue to beat the odds?

The answer lies with us the ASEAN Member States,the people of ASEAN, the of cials, the Committee ofPermanent Representatives, the staff of the ASEANSecretariat. It is obvious that our greatest strength is ourunity, and our collective commitment to peace, stability,cooperation, and the theme of One Market, OneProduction Base. The stronger our commitment, thebetter our chances are of achieving prosperity. In otherwords, the durability of ASEAN.

ASEAN for the people is a central theme of the ASEANCharter. I have always been a rm believer in ASEANfor the People, and that conviction has been furtherstrengthened from what I observe from my travels andmeetings. All our ideals peace, stability and prosperityof ASEAN rest on the commitment and support of themasses. The more our people interact, the better theyknow each other. The better they bond, the stronger will

be their commitment to each other.

As it stands, ASEAN offers a lot of excitement,opportunities, and potential. We are already working onmany fronts to facilitate our integration in 2015. That isonly the rst landmark. There will be even more workafter that.

This will be my last Annual Report as Secretary-Generalof ASEAN. I would like to express my sincere appreciation

to my staff for their support and urge them to continuetheir good work. We have one nal lap to go together,so let us nish this with enthusiasm, optimism, andcon dence in ourselves. We owe it to ASEAN.

DR SURIN PITSUWAN

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Indonesia, as the ASEAN Chair in 2011, convened the19 th ASEAN Summit on 17 November 2011 in Bali. The

ASEAN Leaders had an extensive and fruitful discussionon the progress in building the ASEAN Community, theregional architecture, and ASEANs role in the globalcommunity of nations.

The Summit concluded with the signing, among others,

of the Bali Declaration on ASEAN Community in a GlobalCommunity of Nations (Bali Concord III) whereby ASEANMember States would endeavour to create by the year2022 an ASEAN Common Platform on key global issuescovering the areas of political-security, economic,and socio-cultural. The ASEAN Leaders tasked the

ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) to coordinatethe implementation of the Declaration and report tothe ASEAN Summits on the progress. The concernedsectoral Ministerial bodies have also been tasked to

implement the Declaration with the support of therelevant sectoral ASEAN Senior Of cials, the Committeeof Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) and the

ASEAN Secretariat. The CPR is now taking the lead indrafting a Plan of Action (PoA) for the implementation ofthe Bali Concord III.

In the economic area, the ASEAN Leaders adopted the ASEAN FrameworkforEquitableEconomicDevelopment:Guiding Principles for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth,which would direct ASEANs efforts to ensure that all

segments of society bene t from ASEANs economicintegration. The Leaders also welcomed the ASEANFramework for Regional Comprehensive EconomicPartnership, which would broaden and deepen ASEANsengagement with FTA/CEP partners and subsequentlywith other external economic partners in a new regionalcomprehensive economic partnership.

One of the main documents adopted by the Leadersunder the socio-cultural pillar was the Bali Declaration

on the Enhancement of the Role and Participation of thePersons with Disabilities in ASEAN Community. Othersigni cant documents adopted by the Leaders under the

19 th ASEAN Summit

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ASEAN Leader s at the Opening Ceremony of the19 th ASEAN Summit in Bali, Indonesia


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With the theme of ASEAN: One Community, OneDestiny, Cambodia hosted the 20 th ASEAN Summitin Phnom Penh on 3-4 April 2012. In line with the key

priorities outlined by Cambodia as the ASEAN Chair in2012, the Leaders af rmed their strong commitmentto intensify ASEAN cooperation towards an integrated,people-centred and rules-based organisation as well asa prosperous ASEAN Community.

The Leaders adopted the Phnom Penh Declaration on ASEAN: One Community, One Destiny, and the PhnomPenh Agenda on ASEAN Community Building, reiteratingthe key areas that ASEAN would pursue to realise the

ASEAN Community by 2015 and beyond, as it movestowards a common destiny.

The Leaders agreed to intensify concerted efforts torealise the vision and goal of an ASEAN Community, freefrom the threat of illicit drug abuse, use and traf ckingby 2015, through the ASEAN Leaders Declaration onDrug-Free ASEAN 2015. The Leaders adopted theConcept Paper on Global Movement of Moderates(GMM), embracing moderation as an ASEAN value tobe promoted through existing ASEAN mechanisms andcomplementing the promotion of inter-faith dialogue,inter-cultural diversity and social harmony within the

ASEAN Community and in the international community.

The Leaders noted with satisfaction the progress ofimplementation of the ASEAN Charter, particularly onthe development and adoption of various rules and

procedures for its operationalisation. They also noted theprogress in the implementation of the three CommunityBlueprints. Recognising that regional integration andnarrowing the development gap are priorities in the

ASEAN community-building process, the Leaderswelcomed the progress in the implementation of the IAIWork Plan II (2009-2015) and the Master Plan on ASEANConnectivity.

The Leaders also met with the representatives of the

ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), ASEANsyouth representatives, and representatives from civilsociety organisations on the sidelines of the 20 th ASEANSummit. This is part of the continuing efforts in ASEANto enhance the engagement with all stakeholders in thebuilding of the ASEAN Community.

On regional and international issues, the Leaders calledfor the lifting of all sanctions on Myanmar. They calledfor intensifying efforts to ensure the effective and fullimplementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Partiesin the South China Sea (DOC) based on the Guidelines forits implementation.

20 th ASEAN Summit

ASEAN Leader s at the Opening Ceremony of the20 th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia


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ASEAN Dialogue Partner (Capital)

ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner (Capital)

International Partner (Capital)

International Organisations (Headquarter)

This map is only indicative and is not drawn to scale

Ottawa

Moscow

Beijing

Islamabad

Riyadh New Delhi

Canberra

Wellington

Seoul Tokyo

Manila

BerlinBrussels

Washington DC

New York City

Australia Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) as anew consultative mechanism to focus on promotingthe implementation and monitoring ASEAN-

Australia cooperation of the overall developmentcooperation and recommended strategic directionsin ASEAN-Australia partnership. The 1 st ASEAN-

Australia JCC was held on 28 October 2011 at the ASEAN Secretariat. The 2 nd ASEAN-Australia JCC isscheduled to be held in September 2012.

The Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-

New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) enteredinto force on 1 January 2010 following noti cationof completion of internal requirements includingrati cation by eight (8) Parties:

a) Six (6) ASEAN Member States namelyBrunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Myanmar, ThePhilippines, Singapore, Viet Nam; and

b) Australia and New Zealand.

Subsequently, on 12 March 2010, the AANZFTAentered into force for Thailand following itsnoti cation on 12 January 2010. The AANZFTA has

ASEAN-Australia

The ASEAN-Australia Development CooperationProgram Phase II (AADCP II), the ASEAN-Australiadevelopment programme, was formalised in July2009. The A$57 million-programme would support

ASEAN to implement its economic integrationpolicies and priorities in line with the ASEANEconomic Community Blueprint until 2015. The 5 th

Meeting of AADCP II Joint Planning and ReviewCommittee (JPRC) held on 27 October 2011approved 13 new projects, which are among othersSupporting Research and Dialogue on Services

Liberalisation; ASEAN Awareness Strategy forServices Liberalisation; and Handbook on CoreCompetencies and Domestic Regulations inthe Engineering, Architecture, Accounting andSurveying Services etc.

At the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference Sessionwith Australia in Bali, Indonesia on 21 July 2011,

ASEAN and Australia welcomed the 2010 ASEAN- Australia Summit as a landmark event, underlining

the strength and depth of the relationship, andlooked forward to further summits in the future. TheMeeting welcomed the establishment of the ASEAN-

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entered into force in Cambodia and Lao PDR on4 January 2011 and 1 January 2011, respectively.Indonesia has entered into force on 10 January2012, making all Parties on board in the AANZFTA.The Agreement is the single most comprehensiveeconomic agreement entered into by ASEAN todate. It covers trade in goods and services (includingnancial services and telecommunications),investment, electronic commerce, movement ofnatural persons, intellectual property, competition

policy and economic cooperation.

Australia contributed a total of A$2 million to aprogramme called Australian Support for ASEANCoordination Role in Response to Cyclone Nargis,to support the ASEAN humanitarian operationsin Myanmar. In addition to this, Australia hasalso committed A$ 1.3 million to support theimplementation of the Agreement on DisasterManagement and Emergency Response (AADMER)Work Programme for 2010-2015.

ASEANandAustraliacontinueto implementactivitiesunder the Plan of Action to Implement the JointDeclaration on ASEAN-Australia ComprehensivePartnership.

ASEAN-Canada

High-level contact between ASEAN and Canada hasbeen scheduled periodically including the convening

of the Eighth ASEAN-Canada Dialogue which washeld on 2-3 June 2011 in Vancouver, Canada. The8 th ASEAN-Canada Dialogue was the 1 st Dialogueconvened since the adoption of the ASEAN-CanadaPlan of Action. The 9 th ASEAN-Canada Dialoguetook place in Bangkok on 7-8 June 2012.

ASEAN and Canada are currently celebrating the35 th years of friendship and cooperation in 2012.In order to showcase this anniversary year, ASEAN

and Canada at the Post Ministerial Conference + 1Session with Canada in July 2011 in Bali, endorsedthe list of activities to commemorate the 35 th

Anniversary of ASEAN-Canada relations in 2012. ASEAN and Canada are currently implementing theaforementioned list.

A ceremony to mark the 35 th Anniversary of ASEAN-Canada Dialogue Partnership was held on20 January 2012 at the ASEAN Secretariat. Theceremony is comprised of 1) the formal unveiling ofthe anniversary logo; 2) the launch of IDRCs ASEAN-Canada research programme; and 3) the planting of

a commemorative tree at the ASEAN Secretariat.

The ASEAN Secretariat is currently working closelywith Canada to prepare the visit of Dr. Surin Pitsuwan,Secretary-General of ASEAN, to Canada this year.The visit is part of the commemorative activities thatis endorsed by the Post Ministerial Conference + 1Session with Canada in July 2011 in Bali.

In economic cooperation, a milestone was markedin the ASEAN-Canada relations with the adoption ofthe Joint Declaration between ASEAN and Canadaon Trade and Investment on 2 October 2011.

ASEAN-China

ASEAN and China adopted the Guidelines toimplement the Declaration on the Conduct ofParties (DOC) in the South China Sea on 21 July2011 in Bali. The adoption of the Guidelines wasa signi cant outcome and a step forward in the

implementation of the DOC. At the 14 th ASEAN-China Summit in November 2011 in Bali, Chinaproposed to set up the ASEAN-China MaritimeCooperation Fund amounting to RMB3 billion toimplement the practical projects as part of effortsto the implementation of the DOC. Several projectshave been identi ed for implementation in 2012.

ASEAN and China celebrated the 20 th Anniversary of ASEAN-Chinadialoguerelationsin2011.Throughout

2011, a series of activities were conducted invarious cities in ASEAN Member States and Chinato celebrate the commemorative year. The highlight

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of the celebration was the convening of an ASEAN-China Commemorative Summit on 18 November2011 in Bali that adopted a joint statement to furtheradvancing the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnershipfor Peace and Prosperity.

The ASEAN-China Centre in Beijing was of ciallylaunched at the sidelines of the 14 th ASEAN-ChinaSummit in November 2011 in Bali. The Centre is aone-stop information centre to promote ASEAN-

China cooperation in trade, investment, tourism,education, and culture.

The Protocol to Implement the Second Packageof Speci c Commitments under the Agreement onTrade in Services of the Framework Agreement onComprehensive Economic Cooperation between

ASEAN and China was signed by the EconomicMinisters of ASEAN and China at the sidelines of the

ASEAN-China Commemorative Summit.

At the 10 th Consultations between ASEANEconomic Ministers and the Minister of Commerceof China in August 2010 in Manado, Indonesia,the Ministers endorsed the establishment of an

ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) JointCommittee to create the ACFTA into a more usefuland business-friendly instrument by facilitatingthe effective implementation and utilization ofthe Agreement. The ACFTA was also expected tocreate a solid foundation for the development of

trade and investment between ASEAN and Chinaby consolidating the progress that it has made andimproving the constancy quality of the Agreement.The First ACFTA Joint Committee Meeting was heldin April 2012 in Nanning, China.

ASEAN-European Union

Following the entry into force of the ASEANCharter and based on the strong foundation of

ASEAN-EU partnership, there are currently 23accredited Ambassadors to ASEAN from the EUMember States and the European Union. These 24accredited Ambassadors are from Austria, Belgium,

Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark,Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland,Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, the UK, andthe European Union. Other Member States of theEU intend to accredit their ambassadors to ASEANaccording to their respective national laws andregulation.

The EUs main support to ASEAN is encapsulated

in the Regional Programming for Asia StrategyDocument 2007-2013 with an estimated fundingof 70 million. This is divided into two Multi-AnnualIndicative Programmes (MIP), namely: MIP for2007-2010 and MIP for 2011-2013. Following the18 th ASEAN-EU Joint Co-operation Committee(JCC) Meeting on 30 November 2010 and furtherexchanges between ASEAN and EU Delegation,both sides agreed to focus on three themescomprising four areas for MIP 2011-2013 namely

ASEAN Connectivity [(i) comprehensive bordermanagement covering inter-state passenger landtransportation and customs enforcement, etc; and(ii) higher education, Human Rights, InstitutionalCapacity (including ASEAN regional statistics)].

ASEAN and the EU agreed on the Regional ASEAN-EU Dialogue Instrument (READI), which is a policydialogue mechanism/process for promoting the

ASEAN-EU dialogue relations in non-trade areaswith a total of 4 million. Following the introduction

of the READI, ASEAN and the EC have organiseda number of sectoral/experts consultations intraf cking in persons, ICT, labour and employment,air transport, climate change, energy, and scienceand technology.

The EU contributed to a new programme ASEANRegional Integration Support from the EU (ARISE),with a foreseen budget of 15 million for the periodof 2012-2016. The programme will further support

the realisation of the ASEAN single market throughdeepening ASEAN-EU cooperation on economicintegration and policy dialogue.

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The ASEAN-EU Trade and Investment WorkProgramme was adopted at the 10 th AEM-EU TradeCommissioner Consultations held on 6 May 2011in Jakarta. The Work Programme will enhanceeconomic cooperation and opportunities for tradeand investment between ASEAN and the EuropeanUnion.

In disaster management, ASEAN and the EU agreedto explore cooperation in practical areas such as

comparative studies between the AHA Centreand the European Commission for Humanitarian

Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO). This is also tocomplement existing EU support through the

AADMER Partnership Group (APG), which is alreadyunderway.

ASEAN and the EU continue to implement activitiesunder thePlan ofAction to Implement theNurembergDeclaration onan ASEAN-EU Enhanced Partnership(2007-2012).

The New Bandar Seri Begawan Plan of Action toStrengthen the ASEAN-EU Enhanced Partnership(2013-2017) was adopted at the 19th ASEAN-EUMinisterial Meeting on 26-27 April 2012 in BandarSeri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. This Plan of

Action aims to give a more strategic focus tocooperation and dialogue at regional level in a widerange of areas political-security, economic andsocio-cultural.

ASEAN-India

A new PoA (2010-2015) to Implement the ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace, Progress and SharedProsperity, was adopted by the Leaders at the 8 th

ASEAN-India Summit in Ha Noi, Viet Nam on 30October 2010. The new PoA covers three broadareas such as political and security, economic, andsocio-cultural cooperation.

At the Summit, the ASEAN Leaders also welcomedthe proposal of India to host the ASEAN-India

Summit in India in 2012 and tasked of cialsto work out substantive activities to mark thecelebration of 20 th Anniversary of the ASEAN-IndiaDialogue Relations and the 10 th Anniversary ofthe ASEAN-India Summit. Currently, ASEAN andIndia are planning and implementing a number ofCommemorative Activities to commemorate the 20 th

Anniversary.

ASEAN and India have established the ASEAN-India

Eminent Persons Group (EPG) to take stock of the 20years of ASEAN-India cooperation and explore waysto widen and deepen existing cooperation between

ASEAN and India as well as recommendmeasures tofurther strengthen ASEAN-India relations, taking intoaccount the existing documents signed/adoptedby both sides as well as key ASEAN documents,particularly the ASEAN Charter, Roadmap for an

ASEAN Community, the three blueprints of the ASEAN Community and other relevant documents.The EPG is expected to present their nal report andrecommendations to the Leaders of ASEAN andIndia at the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summitin December 2012 in India.

The signing of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (TIG) on 13 August 2009 was not only abig step forward in ASEAN-India dialogue relationsbut also paved the way for the creation of one ofthe worlds largest free trade areas (FTA) - marketof almost 1.8 billion people with a combined GDP

of US$ 2.8 trillion. The ASEAN-India TIG enteredinto force on 1 January 2010. ASEAN and Indiaare currently negotiating the ASEAN-India Tradein Services and Investment Agreements, which istargeted for an early conclusion.

The ASEAN-India Air Transport Agreement (AI-ATA)is being negotiated with an early implementationtimeline.

Over the years, ASEAN-India functional cooperationhas been expanded to areas of human resourcedevelopment, science and technology (S&T), people-


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to-people contacts, health and pharmaceuticals,transport and infrastructure, small and mediumenterprises (SMEs), tourism, information andcommunication technology (ICT), agriculture,energy, and Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI).

Pursuant to the announcement by the PrimeMinister of India during the 6 th ASEAN-India Summit,the ASEAN-India Green Fund (AIGF) with an initialcontribution of US$5 million was established to

support cooperative pilot projects between ASEANand India for promotion of technologies aimed atpromoting adaptation to and mitigation of climatechange. In addition, the ASEAN-India Science andTechnology Development Fund (AISTDF) with aninitial fund of US$1 million was also establishedto encourage collaborative R&D and technologydevelopment between ASEAN and India. A numberof ASEAN-India joint activities and programmes/ projects are being planned and implemented withthe funding support from these two Funds.

ASEAN-Japan

At the 14 th ASEAN-Japan Summit held on 18November 2011, the Leaders of ASEAN and Japanissued the Joint Declaration for Enhancing ASEAN-Japan Strategic Partnership for Prospering Together(Bali Declaration) and adopted the ASEAN-JapanPlan of Action 2011-2015. ASEAN and Japanaf rmed their commitment to further strengthen their

cooperation under the agreed 5 strategies namely:a) strengthening political-security cooperation in theregion; b) intensifying cooperation towards ASEANcommunity building; c) enhancing ASEAN-Japanconnectivity for consolidating ties between ASEANand Japan; d) creating together a more disaster-resilient societies; and, e) addressing togethercommon regional and global challenges.

ASEAN and Japan are strengthening their

efforts to conclude negotiations on services andinvestment agreements under the ASEAN-JapanComprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) by

the time of the convening of the 18 th Consultationsbetween the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) andthe Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)of Japan that will be held later this year or by the timeof the convening of the 15 th ASEAN-Japan Summitin November 2012. At the 14 th ASEAN-JapanSummit, the Leaders endorsed the development ofa roadmap for ASEAN-Japan Economic Relations inthe next 10 years. The roadmap is expected to becompleted by the time of the convening of the 18 th

AEM-METI Consultations.

To further promote and enhance investment intrade between ASEAN and Japan, a road show ofEconomic Ministers of both sides was held on 25-28 April 2012 in Sendai and Tokyo. During the road-show, Ministers exchanged views with the peoplefrom the political, administrative and businesscircles of the region, attended symposiums, andvisited enterprises.

Youth exchange programme under the Japan East- Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths(JENESYS) will come to its conclusion by June2012. Since its commencement in 2007, 8,700young people from ASEAN have visited Japan topromote mutual understanding. Furthermore, Japanlaunched a new youth exchange programme calledKizuna (which means Bond). The programmewill invite a total of 9,000 youth to participate. Atotal of 2,550 youth from ASEAN Member States

will be invited to Japan while 255 Japanese youthwould be dispatched to ASEAN Member States. Theprogramme will be completed by the end of March2013.

ASEAN and Japan continue to cooperate and takeinitiatives to strengthen cooperation on disastermanagement, an area of highest priority for ASEANand Japan. ASEAN and Japan have reaf rmed theirdetermination to continue exploring effective use of

science and technology such as the satellite systemas well as jointly developing the regional networkfor disaster preparedness and disaster relief with


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the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre)serving as the regional hub.

ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK)

Over the past year, ASEAN and the ROK havemade good progress in the implementation of theJoint Declaration on the ASEAN-ROK StrategicPartnership for Peace and Prosperity and its Plan

of Action for 2011-2015. Cooperation has beenstrengthened in many areas, particularly in transport,forestry, people-to-people contacts, and socialwelfare.

Four projects were implemented under the ASEAN-ROK Transport Cooperation Roadmap in 2011. Inaddition, the ROK continued to share its experiencein developing transport infrastructure through the

ASEAN-ROK Transport Cooperation Forum. At theSecond Forum held on 11-12 August 2011 in Seoul,the ROK introduced its transport technologies usedin its major airports and rail infrastructure as well asits information centre for maritime safety.

TheROKcontinueditscollaborativepartnership with ASEAN in forestry cooperation. The ROK extendedthe ASEAN-ROK agship project Restoration ofDegraded Terrestrial and Mangrove Ecosystems toits Fourth Phase to be implemented from July 2011to June 2012. ASEAN and the ROK also signed the

Agreement on Forest Cooperation (AFoCo) at themargins of the 14 th ASEAN-ROK Summit held on18 November 2011. The AFoCo aims to strengthen

ASEAN-ROK forestry cooperation and enhancethe capacity in dealing with climate change in theregion, thereby building a foundation for the futureestablishment of the Asian Forest CooperationOrganisation.

People-to-people contacts remained to be an

important area of ASEAN-ROK cooperation. SinceJune 2011, nine exchange programmes wereimplemented for the media, youth, students, and

academics. The programmes were funded by theROK through the ASEAN-ROK Future OrientedCooperation Projects Fund (FOCPF).

Social welfare had been added as a new priorityarea of ASEAN-ROK cooperation. Six projectsaddressing different social issues related to ageingpopulation, violence against women, and rights ofchildren had been approved for implementation.

ASEAN-New Zealand

At the Commemorative Summit to mark the 35 th

Anniversary of ASEAN-New Zealand dialoguerelations, New Zealand announced its developmentassistance with a total of $NZ 75 million to

ASEAN through the four agship initiatives withinthe framework of the Plan of Action, namely the

ASEAN-New Zealand Scholarships Programme(which would provide 170 scholarships annuallyfor the next ve years), a Young Business LeadersExchange Programme and programmes on DisasterRisk Management and Agricultural Diplomacy.

New Zealand participated and contributed to theWorking Group of the ASEAN Defence Senior Of cialMeeting (ADSOM) Plus in February 2011 in Surabayaand the Defence SOM (ADSOM). New Zealandhosted the rst ADMM Plus Experts Working Groupon Peacekeeping Operations (EWG PKO) on 21-23November 2011 in Wellington, New Zealand. The

Meeting featured a seminar on the legal aspectsof PKO which aims at increasing the capacity of

ADMM-Plus Member States to contribute to PKOs.

Under the ARF, New Zealand is the co-chair ofthe ARF Inter-Sessional Support Group (ISG) onCon dence-Building Measures and PreventiveDiplomacy in 2011-2012 (with Cambodia).

A Strategic Approach to Economic Cooperation

under the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FreeTrade Agreement (AANZFTA) was adopted inJune 2011 to facilitate the FTAs operationalization


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and progression of its built-in agenda, increasedbusiness utilisation of AANZFTA opportunities, anddeeper economic integration among the Parties.

ASEANand New Zealand launched the ASEAN-CER(Closer Economic Relations) Integration PartnershipForum in June 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.The forum provided useful platform for ASEAN andNew Zealand to share experiences on economicintegration and connectivity.

New Zealand has been assisting ASEAN in theimplementation of the ASEAN Agreement onDisaster Management and Emergency Response(AADMER) and the operationalisation of the ASEANCoordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance ondisaster management (AHA Centre) by secondingexperts to assist AHA Centre in developing itsStrategic Work Plan.

On the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), currentlya New Zealand Aid Programme funded technicalexpert is working with the ASEAN Secretariat toundertake a Regional and four In-Country Workshopsin Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. The aimof these workshops is to strengthen the capacity ofboth the Secretariat and CLMV of cers in assessingDialogue Partners objectives, processes, andprocedures to develop quality project proposals(based on the IAI priority list) for funding by donors.

ASEAN-Russia

The Committee of Representatives (CPR) to ASEANand the Ambassador of Russian Federation to

ASAN have made a good use of their presencein Jakarta with closer coordination, including theconvening of the ASEAN-Russia Joint CooperationCommittee and the ASEAN-Russia Joint Planningand Management Committee meetings.

ASEAN and Russia are implementing theComprehensive Programme of Action 2005-2015, which was adopted to realise the goals and

objectives set out in the Joint Declaration of theHeads of State/Government of the Member States of

ASEAN and the Russian Federation on Progressiveand Comprehensive Partnership signed at the First

ASEAN-Russia Summit on 13 December 2005 inKuala Lumpur.

The Post-Ministerial Conference (PMC) Session withRussia on 22 July 2011, in Bali, Indonesia, noted theprogress in the implementation of the ASEAN-Russia

Comprehensive Programme of Action to PromoteCooperation between ASEAN and the RussianFederation (2005-2015). The Meeting welcomed theRussians Federation participation to the East AsiaSummit and also agreed to undertake activities tocommemorate the 15 th Anniversary of the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Relations in 2011. The Meetingalso adopted the Joint Statement of the Ministersof Foreign Affairs of the ASEAN and RussianFederation on the occasion of the 15 th Anniversaryof the ASEAN-Russia Dialogue Partnership.

ASEAN and Russia marked the 15 th Anniversary ofthe ASEAN-Russia Partnership with a number ofactivities planned to commemorate the auspiciousoccasion in 2011.

ASEAN-United States

Signi cant progress has been made in ASEAN-U.S.Relations. ASEAN welcomes the United States

constructive engagement in the region as well asits continued support towards the establishment of

ASEAN Community by 2015.

The Third ASEAN-U.S. Leaders meeting was heldon 18 November 2011 in Bali, Indonesia. This wasthe third meeting where the Leaders from ASEANand the U.S. reviewed their ongoing cooperationas well as exchanged their views on regional andinternational issues. The Meeting was attended

by all Head of States/Government of nine other ASEAN Member States and H.E. Mr. BarackObama, President of the United States of America.


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The Secretary-General of ASEAN, H.E. Dr. SurinPitsuwan was also in presence.

The Third ASEAN-U.S. leaders Meeting adopted theJoint Statement of the Third ASEAN-U.S. LeadersMeeting and also the Plan of Action to Implementthe ASEAN-U.S. Enhanced Partnership 2011-2015for enduring Peace and Prosperity. The PoA is builtupon the momentum of the success of the ASEAN-U.S. POA 2006-2011. The new PoA is designed to

enhance and elevate the ASEAN-U.S. Partnershipto a strategic level as well as to address emergingregional and global challenges over the next veyears.

The Leaders at the Third ASEAN-U.S. LeadersMeeting also announced the members of the

ASEAN-U.S. Eminent Persons Group, whichcomprised of prominent individuals from all ASEANMember States and the U.S. The Group is taskedto provide recommendations to the Leaders on howbest to enhance engagement between ASEAN andthe United States. The 1 st Meeting of the ASEAN-U.S. EPG was held on 20-21 May 2012 in Manila,Philippines.

The 4 th ASEAN-U.S. Leaders Meeting is scheduledto be held tentatively in November 2012 in PhnomPenh, Cambodia.

At the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) and the

representative of the U.S. Trade Representative(USTR) Consultations held on 11 August 2011, inManado, Indonesia, the Ministers considered andadopted TIFA work plan for 2012. The activities inthe new work plan include:

a) Moving forward with Trade and EnvironmentDialogue;

b) Continuing exchange of information on theTIFA Trade Finance Dialogue; and

c) ASEAN-U.S. Business Forum.

ASEANand theU.S. launcheda three-year project tofacilitate the trade of food commodities in Southeast

Asia on 29 March 2012 at the ASEAN Secretariat.The project, Maximizing Agricultural Revenuethrough Knowledge, Enterprise Development, andTrade (MARKET), aims to improve food security for

ASEAN Member States and contribute to ASEANregional integration by enabling freer movementof food products and commodities. The MARKETproject will provide exible and demand-driven

support to the ASEAN Secretariat, while bringingmore private-sector and civil-society input intoregional agriculture policy dialogue. The project isnow being implemented.

TheASEAN andU.S. Leaders at the3 rd ASEAN-U.S.Leaders Meeting welcomed the announcement ofthe Partnership on English Language Education for

ASEAN. This Partnership is a long-termcommitment,open to the support of ASEAN Member States, tobetter unify the diverse members of ASEAN, improveEnglish language capacity in the region and furthersupport the Initiative for ASEAN Integration.

The U.S. has continually supported the work ofthe ASEAN Commission for the Promotion andProtection of the Rights of Women and Children(ACWC) and its priority areas. The visit of the ACWCto the U.S. was convened on 16-26 April 2012. Thegroup met with numerous NGOs and academics todiscuss international migration, human traf cking,

gender-based violence, the importance of coalitionbuilding, and strategies for communicating the

ACWCs work to the broader ASEAN community inWashington and New York City.

ASEAN-Pakistan

ASEAN and Pakistan have undertaken cooperationin trade, industry and investment, science andtechnology, drugs and narcotics, environment,

tourism, and human resources development.


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Following the entry into force of the ASEAN Charterand based on the foundation of the ASEAN-Pakistanrelations, Pakistan has accredited its Ambassadorto ASEAN in 2010.

The Second ASEAN-Pakistan Materials ScienceConference was held on 26-27 April 2011 in Ha Noi,

Viet Nam.

ASEAN Plus Three (APT)

As a follow-up to the APT Leaders decision in2010, the East Asia Vision Group II (EAVG II) wasestablished in 2011 and the Group had held threemeetings. The fourth and last meeting will be heldon 5-7 September 2012 in Bali to nalise the Reportof the Group for submission to the 15 th APT Summitin Cambodia in November 2012.

The new APT Macroeconomic Research Of ce(AMRO) in Singapore, which commenced itsoperations in May 2011, is now supporting theChiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM). Adecision was made by the APT Finance Ministersat their 15 th Meeting held on 3 May 2012 in Manilato double the size of the CMIM Fund from US$120billion to US$ 240 billion for managing regional short-term liquidity, as the needs arise. The portion of thefund, which could be utilised without subjecting toIMF conditions, has also been increased from 20%to 30%. In addition, a separate crisis prevention

facility has been introduced known as the CMIMPrecautionary Line.

The new roadmap for the Asian Bond MarketInitiative (ABMI) was also adopted by the APTFinance Ministers to further develop ef cient andliquid bond markets in the region through a moreeffective utilisation of regional saving for regionalinvestment. A work plan will be developed toimplement the priorities under the new roadmap.

The APT Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Agreement was signed at the sidelines of the 11 th

ASEAN Plus Three Ministers on Agriculture andForestry Meeting on 7 October 2011. The APTERRis a permanent scheme for meeting emergencyrequirements and achieving humanitarian purposes.

Education was added as a new area of APTcooperation. The informal meeting of APT Ministerson Education was held on 18 July 2011 in Bali,

Indonesia, in which the meeting discussed the futuredirection of APT cooperation in education. The rstmeeting of APT on education will be held on 4 July2012 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

ASEAN Plus Three (APT) countries are celebratingthe 15 th Anniversary of APT cooperation in 2012.Cambodia, as the Coordinator of APT, proposedtwo major events, namely the APT Youth LeadersSymposium to be held in Phnom Penh and the APTCultural Performance to be held in Siem Reap in thesecond half of 2012.

East Asia Summit (EAS)

The Russian Federation and the United States of America joined the EAS and participated for the rsttime at the 6 th EAS on 19 November 2011 in Bali.Their participation will strengthen EAS efforts toadvance its common endeavour. The Leaders alsoadopted the Declaration of the EAS on the Principles

for Mutually Bene cial Relations at the Summit.The Declaration outlines principles for friendly andmutually bene cial relations.

At the 6 th EAS, the Leaders noted with satisfactionthe substantial outcomes of the rst informal East

Asia Summit Education Ministers Meeting (EASEMM) which was held on 18 July 2011 in Bali. TheLeaders welcomed the plan to convene the EASEMM on a biennial basis commencing in 2012 and


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to develop an EAS Education Cooperation Plan. The Action Plan will provide direction and momentumto education cooperation and promote a morecomprehensive cooperation based on the principleof unity in diversity.

The 5 th EAS Energy Ministers Meeting (EMM) washeld on 21 September 2011 in Jerudong, BruneiDarussalam. The Ministers agreed to deepen andexpand cooperation in the following areas: energy

ef ciency and conservation; biofuels for transportand other purposes; energy market integration; andother possible new areas of cooperation. Russia andthe United States participated for the rst time in theEMM.

The 6 th EAS agreed to continue enhancingcooperation on environment and climate changeissues. As a result, a number of activities had beenimplemented.

The 6 th EAS noted the adoption of the ASEANFramework for Regional Comprehensive EconomicPartnership (RCEP) at the 19 th ASEAN Summit.The Framework highlights the ASEAN centralityin regional economic integration. As a follow-upaction, three RCEP Working Groups on Trade inGoods, Trade in Services, and Investment have beenestablished to develop the general architecture andbroad outline, including the modality for liberalisingand facilitating trade in goods, services, and

investment under the RCEP.

TheDeclarationofthe6 th EAS on ASEAN Connectivitywas adopted at the 6 th EAS. This Declarationenvisaged cooperation in the Connectivity Initiative,such as the development of a regional public-privatepartnership (PPP) development agenda and thepossibility of having a Connectivity Master PlanPlus in the future.

The 6th

EAS adopted the joint Indonesia-AustraliaPaper entitled: A Practical Approach to EnhanceRegional Cooperation on Disaster Rapid Response.

As a follow-up action, the ASEAN Committeeon Disaster Management (ACDM) has beentasked to establish a working group, consistingof the ASEAN Secretariat, Indonesia, Lao PDR,Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Australia (as arepresentative of the EAS Participating Countries) tostudy the linkage between the Work Programme ofthe ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management andEmergency Response (AADMER) and the proposedEAS Work Plan on Disaster Management

ASEAN-Germany

Germany has provided millions of Euros to support ASEAN in the areas of environment and sustainabledevelopment, social development and capacity-building for the ASEAN Secretariat.

ASEAN and Germany signed the third phase of ASEAN-Germany Joint Capacity Building Projecton 20 January 2011. Under the third phase,Germany provides 4 million to support the ASEANSecretariat in administration and management;economic integration; media and communication;legal matters; and other agreed needs.

ASEAN-United Nations (UN)

The adoption of the Joint Declaration of theComprehensive Partnership between ASEAN andthe UN at the 4 th ASEAN-UN Summit in in November

2011 in Bali is aimed at elevating the ASEAN-UN tothe level of the Comprehensive Partnership. TheJoint Declaration would also serve as a strengthenedframework of cooperation between ASEAN and theUN will reinforce and further enhance and advancethe level of, as well as intensify, cooperation betweenthe two organizations in the spheres of political-security cooperation, economic cooperation andsocio-cultural cooperation. In pursuance to the JointDeclaration, several UN Specialised Agencies are

at present undertaking cooperative activities with anumber of ASEAN sectoral bodies, in most casesunder a speci c MoU.


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Following the adoption of the Joint Declaration on ASEAN-UN Collaboration in Disaster Managementarising from the Third ASEAN-UN Summit held in HaNoi, the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management(ACDM) and the relevant UN agencies are nowdeveloping an ASEAN-UN Strategic Plan of Actionon Disaster Management. Agencies collaboratingunder the Plan include 11 UN entities: UNISDR,UNDP, UNICEF, OCHA, WFP, WHO, ESCAP, UNFPA,FAO, UNHCR and UNESCO.

ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)

The Second ASEANGCC Ministerial Meeting wasconvened on 31 May to 1 June 2010 in Singapore.The Meeting adopted the ASEAN-GCC Two-Year

Action (2010-2012), which identi es activities andmeasures for closer collaboration and cooperationto be jointly undertaken for the next two years,through sectoral working groups and the twoSecretariats of ASEAN and GCC, on the areas oftrade and investment, economic and developmentalcooperation, education and training, culture andinformation, and mutual consultation in internationalmatters. The Ministers also agreed to regularisetheir meeting on an annual basis, alternately in an

ASEAN andGCC countryand that theThird ASEAN-GCC Ministerial Meeting was scheduled to be heldin 2011 in the United Arab Emirates but has beenpostponed since then.

Asia European Meeting (ASEM)

The ASEM process has expanded to embrace thecountries in both Asia and European continents.The 8 th ASEM Summit held on 2-5 October 2010in Brussels, Belgium welcomed Australia, NewZealand, and the Russian Federation as the new

ASEM Members. It has also been decided thatBangladesh, Norway and Switzerland will beadmitted to ASEM at the forthcoming 9 th ASEM

Summit.

Preparations are underway for the 9 th ASEM Summitto be held in on 5-6 November 2012 in Vientiane,Lao PDR.

Along with the ASEM expansion and based on theprinciples of equal partnership, mutual respect,and mutual bene t, the cooperation encompassespolitical, economic and cultural issues and beyondgovernments in order to promote dialogue andcooperation between business/private sectors,

people-to-people and think-tanks and researchgroups of both regions.

ASEAN Development Bank (ADB)

In keeping up with the developments in the region, ASEAN and ADB concluded a new MoU whichwas signed in April 2012 with a view to pavingthe way to forge closer collaboration and support

ASEAN Community building by 2015, particularlyon implementing the Master Plan on ASEANConnectivity, transport and trade facilitation, energy,and nancial Integration.

ASEAN MERCOSUR

The 1 st ASEAN MERCOSUR Ministerial Meetingwas held in November 2008 in Brasilia, Brazil, in anagreement to formulate a Region-to-Region PoA forcooperation to alleviate negative impact of globalnancial crisis. The second ASEAN-MERCOSUR

Ministerial Meeting scheduled to be held in 2011,which is expected to adopt the said PoA, has beenpostponed since then.

ASEAN-Economic CooperationOrganisation (ECO)

The MOU between the Secretariat of ASEANand the Secretariat of Economic CooperationOrganization (ECO) was signed on 18 January

2006, aimed to serve as a platform to build a closerrelationship between the two regions through the


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sharing of information, practices and experiencesin the agreed four areas of cooperation. Pursuantto the signing of the MOU, a Work Programme toImplement the MOU was developed by the twoSecretariats in 2006. However, there have not beenany joint activity undertaken since the adoption ofthe Work Programme.

At the ASEAN-ECO Ministerial Meeting held on24 September 2011 in the UN Headquarters in

New York, both sides showed revived interest inre-engaging and forging concrete cooperation inmany possible areas as well as promoting of inter-regional connectivity. The two sides emphasised theneed to make the relationship more productive andmeaningful by accelerating the implementation ofthe Work Programme and the MoU and to translateit into tangible actions in the spirit of friendship,cooperation and mutual bene ts.


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ASEAN Connectivity

To demonstrate the bene ts and potentials ofconnectivity, ASEAN has prioritised 15 projects withhigh and immediate impact on ASEAN Connectivity forexpeditious implementation.

To date, signi cant progress in the implementationof the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity has beenachieved. Some of the achievements under physicalconnectivity include the completion of ASEAN HighwayNetwork (AHN) AH3 route ahead of its target year (2012)

and the upgrading of below class III sections of the AHN in Myanmar and Lao PDR to at least Class IIIsections. Under institutional connectivity, the Protocol 6on Railways Border and Interchange Stations under the

ASEAN Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Goodsin Transit (AFAFGIT) was signed, the Modality for theElimination/ Improvement of Investment Restrictions andImpediments was endorsed, and the implementation ofthe ASEAN Single Window Pilot Project has commenced.For people-to-people connectivity, the ASEAN TourismMarketing Strategy was endorsed and the Marketing andCommunication Working Group is currently developingthe ASEAN for ASEAN programme in collaboration withthe private sector.

Effective communication is vital for connectivity. Toenhance public outreach and advocacy on the MasterPlan on ASEAN Connectivity at the national and regionallevels as well as to Dialogue Partners, several outreachactivities on connectivity have been conducted.

One of the main challenges in implementing the MasterPlan on ASEAN Connectivity is to mobilise nancial andtechnical resources required to bridge major gaps indevelopment and infrastructure across the region, withthe aim of stimulating economic growth andemploymentin ASEAN.

ASEAN Leaders adopted the Master Plan on ASEANConnectivity in October 2010 to enhance connectivityof the region which will bene t the Member States andpeoples of ASEAN and contribute to ASEAN Communitybuilding. The idea is to leverage on the strategic locationof the ASEAN region given that a well-connected ASEANwill promote economic growth, narrow the developmentgaps by sharing the bene ts of growth with poorergroups and communities, enhance the competitivenessof ASEAN, contribute to promoting deeper ties among

ASEAN peoples, and connect ASEAN Member Stateswithin the region and with the rest of the world.

The Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity(MPAC) and its Implementation

The Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, which wasadopted by ASEAN Leaders at the 17 th ASEAN Summitin October 2010, is both a strategic document forachieving overall ASEAN Connectivity and a plan ofaction for immediate implementation for the period 2011-2015 to connect ASEAN through enhanced physicalconnectivity, institutional connectivity and people-topeople connectivity.

The Master Plan contains 19 strategies and 84 keyactions under the three dimensions mentioned above.Under physical connectivity, 7 strategies and 32 keyactions were drawn up with the view to expanding andimproving road, rail, inland waterways, maritime and airlinkages. Ten strategies and 32 key actions were outlined

under institutional connectivity to facilitate free ow ofgoods, services and investment in the region. And,under people-to-people connectivity, 2 strategies and20 key actions were formulated to promote deeper intra-

ASEAN social and cultural interaction and understandingthrough, among others, progressive relaxation of visarequirements, development of mutual recognitionarrangements (MRA) and promotion of tourism-relatedactivities.


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ASEAN Coordinating Council

Last Meeting 10 th Meeting of the ACC,2 April 2012, Phnom Penh

Senior Of cials Committee of PermanentRepresentatives to ASEAN

Established 2008 meets at least twice a year

Senior Of cials

(ACC)

The Ninth Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating

Committee (ACC) was convened by Indonesia, as the ASEAN Chair in 2011, on 16 November 2011 in Bali. TheMeeting exchanged views on key issues in the buildingof the ASEAN Community, functions and operationsof the ASEAN Secretariat, the work of the Committeeof Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR), theimplementation of the IAI Work Plan, and the progress of

ASEAN Connectivity, among others.

The ACC adopted the Rules of Procedure (ROP) forConclusion of International Agreements by ASEAN. TheseROP are applicable to agreements done by ASEAN as anintergovernmental organisation in its conduct of externalrelations as provided for in Article 41 (7) of the ASEANCharter.

Under the chairmanship of Cambodia, the 10 th Meetingof the ACC was held in Phnom Penh on 2 April 2012.The ACC adopted the Rules of Procedure for theInterpretation of the ASEAN Charter, which set out theprocedure for the Member States that wish to request the

ASEAN Secretariat (Article 51 of the ASEAN Charter) tointerpret the ASEAN Charter.

As a follow-up to the decision of the ASEAN Leadersduring the 19 th ASEAN Summit to establish an ACCWorking Group (ACCWG) to discuss all relevant aspectsrelated to the application by Timor-Leste as well as itspossible implications on ASEAN, the ACC adopted theTerms of Reference of the ACCWG. The ACCWG willconsist of the senior of cials from the political-security,

economic, and socio-cultural pillars. The rst meeting ofthe ACCWG was held in Jakarta on 21-22 June 2012.

The 11 th Meeting of the ACC is tentatively scheduled tobe held in November 2012 in Phnom Penh, before the21 st ASEAN Summit.

ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee

Last Meeting ?th Meeting of ACCC,15 March 2012, Jakarta,Indonesia

Established 2011, meets at least two times ayear, with additional meetings asappropriate

1/2012 Meeting of ACCC,15 March 2012, Jakarta,Indonesia

ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee(ACCC)

Pursuant to the adoption of the Master Plan on ASEANConnectivity (MPAC) by ASEAN Leaders at the 17 th

ASEAN Summit in October2010, the ASEAN ConnectivityCoordinating Committee (ACCC) was established tocoordinate and oversee the implementation of the MasterPlan and report to ASEAN Leaders on the progress of itsimplementation.

The ACCC has met 4 times since its establishment in

April 2011. The ACCC has developed a modality for the ACCC to coordinate with relevant stakeholders and the ASEAN Connectivity Implementation Matrix/Scorecardwhich will be used as a monitoring mechanism for theimplementation of key strategies and actions in theMaster Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.

Since its adoption, ASEANs external partners haveexpressed interest in supporting the implementation ofthe Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity. The ACCC isworking on project information sheets of the 15 prioritisedproject under the Master Plan to provide stakeholderswith more concrete details on what, where and howthey can be involved in supporting ASEAN Connectivityprojects. The ACCC is working on leveraging ASEANsown resources, through the ASEAN InfrastructureFund and a two-year Work Programme of the ASEANDevelopment Fund, to support the initial funding of theMaster Plan on ASEAN Connectivity priority projects.

Engaging and working with national agencies and

subregional arrangements would be essential to avoidduplication of projects and initiatives, increase synergies


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and enhance complementarities. The inaugural meetingbetween ACCC and National Coordinators for theImplementation of Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity(National Coordinators) was held on 16 March 2012 atthe ASEAN Secretariat. It is recognised that ASEANConnectivity is a cross-sector, cross-discipline andcross-institution effort and therefore called for an effectiveand regular coordination between ACCC and NationalCoordinators, and between National Coordinators andits national agencies to implement the Master Plan on

ASEAN Connectivity.

The ACCC has also met the Japan Task Force for ASEANConnectivity 3 times. The ACCC is also coordinating withother Dialogue Partners and external partners that haveexpressed their interest to support implementation of the

Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and is developingeffective mechanisms to engage with these parties.

Building on the momentum of the rst two ASEANConnectivity Symposiums which had effectivelysocialised and reached out to relevant stakeholders withinand outside ASEAN, Cambodia, the current ACCC Chair,will be holding the third ASEAN Connectivity Symposiumwith the theme of Realising ASEAN Connectivity for

ASEAN CommunityBuilding inPhnom Penh,Cambodia,

in September 2012.

The momentum generated by the Master Plan on ASEANConnectivity requires collective efforts of all stakeholdersand should be leveraged on to achieve the goals of

ASEAN Connectivity.


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ASEAN is also working to develop an overarchingCommunication Master Plan, to consolidate andsynergise the three ASEAN Communities. Surveys on

ASEAN Community BuildingEfforts are ongoing and willcomplete in September 2012. The result of the Surveywill help guide the ASEAN Communication Master Plan.

Outreach Activities

ASEAN continues to conduct outreach activities. InMarch 2012, thousands of t-shirts, ags, and brochureswere sent to CambodiaASEAN Chair 2012to

support a National Seminar on ASEAN for universitystudents. In May 2012, a series of ASEAN publicationswere delivered for university libraries in Cambodia thatincluded new corporate videos and standard power pointpresentations.

Throughout ASEAN, promotional materials and resourcepersons are being sent for public events involving localcommunity leaders, teachers, and students. ASEANoutreach initiatives also included activities such asthe ASEAN Cultural Show & Exhibition in Jakartawhere thousands of shoppers and the media took part;ASEAN Rickshaw Run charity events; and exhibitionsand seminar where large groups of students or othertargeted groups gather. Further, ASEAN materials arebeing shared with countries near and far such as Mexico,Japan, and Timor Leste.

One of the main attractions during the 2011 ASEAN Fair was the ASEAN+ Culinary Festivalheld in Bali, Indonesia, which is the second festival of its kind.


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Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. SurinPitsuwan(second from left) is posing with some participantsand a few colleagues including Governor ofJakarta, Fauzi Bowo (sixth from left), before the

2011 ASEAN Rickshaw Run commenced.

Local and international tourists visited the 2011 ASEAN Fair that washeld at the Discovery Mall in Bali, Indonesia.

The enthusiastic crowd surrounded the ASEAN booth at the rst ASEAN+ Cullinary Festival held in Kelapa Gading, Jakar ta, Indonesia

24

The Secretariat also continues to welcome thousandsof visitors annually through group visitsranging fromelementary school students to senior offcials.

Publications

In 2012, ASEAN is printing 36 new and reprinting sixpublications. The ASEAN Charter has been reprintedmore than 10 times. It has been translated into nationallanguages of the 10 ASEAN Member States. The Charter

and most ASEAN publications are also available on ASEAN Website for easy access by the public.

To get the Charters spirit and content embraced by awider spectrum of society among the peoples of ASEAN,shipments are being sent even to remote communitiesand this effort will be strengthen ahead of the ASEANCommunity 2015. More school libraries, business clubs,embassies, National Secretariats, and Committeesabroad will have copies of key documents.

The ASEAN Secretariat, with GIZ support, launchedthe new Corporate Design in 2012 to help speed upand expand ASEAN recognition through consistency in

ASEAN materials.

Footages

The ASEAN Today monthly program to embrace ASEAN people, opportunities, and places debuted inOctober 2011. The high quality, half-hour Program and

will last one year.

As most people throughout ASEAN now have access totelevision, efforts are being placed more on videos, publicservice announcements (PSAs), and other footages.

Already, 4 corporate videos have been completed;an ASEAN overview, and 3 focusing on each ASEANCommunity. All of these videos are available on the

ASEAN Web, Facebook, and YouTube.


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ASEAN

Political-Security Community

(APSC)


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For the period under review, signi cant progress hasbeen made across a wide spectrum of areas and sectorsunder the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC).Numerous follow-up activities have been undertaken toimplement the decisions and directives of the ASEANSummits and other major meetings. In addition to thefollow-up, new initiatives have been launched in parallelto bring about strong impetus to the Chairmanshipof Cambodia with the theme: One Community, OneDestiny.

In the area of political cooperation, a signi cantachievement is the entry into force of the Third Protocol

Amending the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation inSoutheast Asia (TAC) by all High Contracting Parties(HCP). This will provide a more inclusive nature to theTAC, enabling accession by not only States but alsoregional organisations whose members are sovereignStates, such as the EU/EC. In addition, consultations andpreparations are being undertaken to pave the way forthe signing by the Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) to thenew Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty in 2012. In anotherencouraging development, ASEAN will engage China inthe drafting of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the SouthChina Sea upon ASEANs nalisation of its commonposition on the possible basic elements of the COC.

Meanwhile, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commissionon Human Rights (AICHR) is drafting an ASEANHuman Rights Declaration, which will be a milestonepolitical document that reiterates the aspirations andcommitments of ASEAN and its Member States to thepromotion and protection of human rights.

In the area of security cooperation, ASEAN has displayeda strong commitment in moving towards its goal to attaina security community. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)

is deemed to be a more action-oriented forum as the ARF Work Plan on Preventive Diplomacy has now beenadopted. In defence, all the ve Experts Working Groupsof the ADMM Plus have convened their meetings andlaunched their respective practical cooperation activities.In the eld of non-traditional security, the ProgressReport on Criminal Justice Responses to Traf cking inPersons in the ASEAN Region was launched during the11 th SOMTC in July 2011.

In the area of external relations, ASEAN is continuing todeepen andstrengthenits relationswith Dialogue Partnersand other external partners of ASEAN while ensuringits central role in the evolving regional architecture tomaintain peace, security, stability and prosperity in theregion.

Introduction of ASEAN Political SecurityCommunity (APSC)


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ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC)Council

Last Meeting 7 th Meeting of APSC Council,2 April 2012, Phnom PenhC a mbodia

Established 2009, meets at least twice a year

Under the ASEAN Charter, the APSC Council shallhave under its purview the ASEAN sectoral ministerialbodies in the political-security areas. The APSC Councilis mandated to ensure the implementation of relevantdecisions of the ASEAN Summit and coordinate the workof the ministerial bodies under its purview in order torealise the objectives of the APSC.

The 6 th Meeting of the APSC Council adopted theoutcome of the biennial review of the APSC Blueprintas conducted by the Coordinating Conference for the

ASEAN Political-Security Community (ASCCO). Thebiennial review provided a number of recommendationsto ensure the full and effective implementation of the

APSC Blueprint, including the following:

Ensuring effective implementation of agreementsand commitments under the APSC Blueprint at thenational level;

Mainstreaming and synchronising the APSCBlueprint into and among the plans of action/workprogrammes of relevant ASEAN bodies;

Updating priority areas under the APSC Blueprint; Enhancing coordination on cross-cutting issues

within the APSC and across the three Communitypillars;

Promoting greater awareness of the APSC; Mobilising suf cient resources for the APSC; Strengthening institutional arrangements across the

APSC spectrum.

The 7 th Meeting of the APSC Council was held on 2 April2012 in Phnom Penh to review the implementation ofthe APSC Blueprint and held in-depth deliberations onimportant developments in ASEAN sectoral bodies underits purview, as well as on unfolding events in the regionalpolitical and security landscape. The Meeting stressed

the need to enhance coordination and synchronisationamong various ASEAN bodies and mechanisms in the

APSC pillar in order to effectively address emergingcross-cutting issues. These issues include disastermanagement, maritime security, counter-terrorism, andpeace keeping.

ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM)

Last Meeting 44 th AMM and Related Meetings,16-23 July 2011 , Bali, Indonesia

Senior Of ficials ASEAN Senior Of fic ialMeeting (SOM)

Established 1967, meets annualy, withinformal meetings and retreats in

between

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers convened a number ofmeetings from July 2011 to May 2012, including theannual 44 th AMM from 19-23 July 2011 in Bali, and otherspecial or informal meetings such as the Informal ASEANForeign Ministers Meeting (IAMM) on 24 September 2011

in New York, the AMM on 15 November 2011 in Bali onthe sidelines of the 19th ASEAN Summit; the ASEANForeign Ministers Retreat from 10-12 January 2012 inSiem Reap; and most recently the AMM on 2 April 2012 inPhnom Penh, on the sidelines of the 20 th ASEAN Summit.

Under the Chairmanship of Indonesia, the AMM in2011 had substantive and productive discussions on

ASEAN community building efforts as well as on externalrelations. Of special importance is the Foreign Ministers

continued deliberation on how to intensify ASEANscapacity and efforts to ensure peace, security andstability in the region through norms setting and effectivecon ict resolution and management. In this context, the44 th AMM the establishment of the ASEAN Institute forPeace and Reconciliation (AIPR), and agreed to submit aset of recommendations to the 19th ASEAN Summit. The

AIPR is expected to be of cially launched in 2012. The44 th AMM also discussed the situation on the Cambodia-Thailand border, and welcomed the commitment by bothcountries to peacefully resolve their differences with theappropriate engagement of Indonesia, as the then Chairof ASEAN, and to fully respect and comply with the


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decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 18July 2011 regarding this issue.

The AMM Retreat in Siem Reap that was the rst AMM under the chairmanship of Cambodia. discussedCambodias chosen theme for 2012, ASEAN: OneCommunity, One Destiny. The theme highlights theshared vision and collective will of the ASEAN peoplesto build the ASEAN Community in the ASEAN spiritof oneness and belonging to one family and onecommunity. The Meeting agreed to intensify effortsto ensure the effective implementation of the threeBlueprints of the ASEAN Community. The Ministerscalled for enhancing coordination among ASEANbodies and mechanisms and mainstreaming the ASEANagreements and commitments to national policies anddevelopment frameworks. The Meeting also agreed that

ASEAN community building efforts must be underpinnedby two important supplementary endeavours: narrowingthe development gaps, and effectively implementing theMaster Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.

The AMM Retreat discussed a number of key issues asfollow-up to the 19th ASEAN Summit. With regard to the

ASEAN HumanRights Declaration, the Meeting took noteof the Progress Report of AICHR on the ASEAN HumanRights Declaration (AHRD) and tasked AICHR to nalisethe drafting of the AHRD by 2012, and to submit regularprogress reports to the AMM. The Meeting noted thatthe AHRD should be a political document that re ects

ASEANs aspirations and commitments to the promotion

and protection of human rights, representing a balanceof rights and duties, and echoing universal values. At thesame time, it should take into account ASEAN values andregional particularities as well as the national laws andregulations of each ASEAN Member State. It was furtheragreed that the AMM should give political guidance to

AICHR when necessary in the drafting of the AHRD.

The South China Sea issue was discussed by the ASEANForeign Ministers.Thepastyearwitnessedthree important

breakthroughs in this regard: (i) the re-convening of the ASEAN-China Senior Of cials on the Declaration on theConduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) on

20 July 2011; (ii) the adoption of the Guidelines for theImplementation of the DOC a document conceived in2005 and extensively negotiated before its nalisation inJuly 2011 in Bali; and (iii) the establishment of an ASEANSenior Of cials Meeting Working Group on a RegionalCode of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea todiscuss possible key elements of the COC. These keyelements would serve as ASEANs common position onthe COC in its discussion with China at a later stage.

TheForeign Ministerspositivelyconsideredthewillingnessand readiness of Myanmar to assume the Chairmanshipof ASEAN in 2014, based on its commitments to theprinciples of ASEAN, and to recommend to the ASEANLeaders for their consideration. The Foreign Ministerswelcomed the positive developments in the country andencouraged Myanmar to sustain the momentum of politicalreforms, national reconciliation and democratisation.The Ministers stressed the need for ASEAN to play aproactive and prominent role in building bridges betweenMyanmar and the world, thereby enhancing ASEAN unityand credibility. In this connection, the Meeting noted thatMyanmar would positively consider the idea of inviting

ASEAN Foreign Ministers to visit Myanmar in 2012

Commission on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ Commission)

Last Meeting 15 November 2011, Bali,Indonesia

Senior Of cials The Meeting of the ExecutiveCommite of the SEANWFZCommission

Established 24 July 1999, meets annually

The SEANWFZ Commission convened its annual meetingon 18 July 2011 in Bali, a special meeting in New York onthe sidelines of the IAMM on 24 September 2011, and ameeting on the sidelines of the 19th ASEAN Summit inNovember 2011 to take stock of the implementation ofthe Plan of Action to Strengthen the Treaty on SEANWFZ.

The Commission took note of encouraging developmentsin the implementation of the Plan of Action over thepast year, namely: (i) the accession of Lao PDR to the


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Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materialin September 2010; (ii) Lao PDRs joining the IAEA inmid-September 2011; (iii) the developments regardingthe ASEAN Nuclear Energy Cooperation SubsectorNetwork (NEC-SSN); (v) the prominence of the nuclearsafety issue at the 18 th ASEAN Summit as well as theenhanced cooperation between ASEAN and a numberof Dialogue Partners, especially with Japan and Russia,on nuclear safety; (iv) Indonesias rati cation of the JointConvention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Managementand on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management on1 April 2011; and (v) the adoption of the third ASEAN-sponsored UN Resolution on the SEANWFZ Treaty bythe 66 th U.N. General Assembly (UNGA). Another highlyencouraging development was Indonesias rati cation ofthe Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in December2011.

After a decade-long hiatus of talks, the year 2011 saw asigni cant breakthrough in reviving direct consultationsbetween the States Parties to the Treaty on SEANWFZand the Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) towards enablingthe NWS to sign the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty atthe soonest possible. Two direct informal consultationsat the working group level with the NWS were held from8-11 August 2011 in Geneva and from 4-7 October 2011in New York. Building upon the progress made during thetwo informal direct consultations, the meeting betweenthe SEANWFZ Executive Committee (SEANWFZ ExCom)and representatives of the NWS held on 15 November2011 in Bali was able to resolve all of the outstanding

issues related to the SEANWFZ Treaty and its Protocol.

The Meeting of the SEANWFZ Commission on 16November 2011 welcomed the conclusion of thenegotiations with the NWS and agreed to take necessarysteps to ensure the early signing by the NWS of therevised SEANWFZ Protocol. It is expected that the NWSwill sign the revised Protocol on the sidelines of the 45 th

AMM in July 2012 in Phnom Penh.

ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM)

Last Meeting 5 th ADMM, 19 May 2011, Jakarta,Indonesia

Senior Of cials ASEAN Defence Senior Of cials Meeting (ADSOM)

Established 2006, meets annually

ASEAN Defence Senior Of cialsMeeting (ADSOM)

Senior Of cials

ASEAN Defence Ministers Meetting (ADMM)

The ADMM started with the objective to promotedefence and security dialogue and cooperation towardsachieving an ASEAN security community. Six yearsafter the ASEAN Defence Ministers rst met in 2006,the ADMM has evolved into a solid mechanism formultilateral practical defence and military cooperation in

ASEAN. The nuance of the dialogue in the ADMM hascaptured a wider scope than policy direction. The ADMMhas reached the level of trust and con dence which leadsthe defence and military sectors to start cooperation onpractical matters, such as humanitarian assistance anddisaster relief (HADR), peacekeeping, and promotion of

ASEAN defence industry collaboration.

Two new important initiatives, namely the establishmentof the ASEAN Peace Keeping Centres Network and the

ASEAN Defence Industry Collaboration (ADIC) wereendorsed by the Fifth ADMM in May 2011. To followup, Malaysia as the proponent of the Concept Paper on

ADIC hosted the Workshop in Kuala Lumpur on 18 April2012 to brainstorm on strategic approach to develop the

ADIC concept. Thailand will host the First ASEAN PeaceKeeping Centres Network Meeting in Bangkok in 2012.

Cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disasterrelief has been progressing considerably in the ADMM.In March 2011, Indonesia hosted the second workshopon the Use of ASEAN Military Assets and Capacities inHADR. Following on the previous dialogue between thedefence establishments and civil society organisations,Thailand hosted the Third Workshop of the ASEANDefence Establishments and CSOs Cooperation in Non-Traditional Security featuring a table top exercise (TTX)on disaster management and humanitarian assistance inSeptember 2011 in Bangkok.


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ASEAN engagement with eight of its Dialogue Partners(known as the Plus Countries) in the ADMM-Plus hasbeen progressing signi cantly since its inaugural meetingin Ha Noi on 12 October 2010. Five Experts WorkingGroups (EWGs), namely on maritime security, counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief,peace keeping operations, and military medicine, wereestablished in April 2011. Since then, all the EWGs haveconvened their meetings and launched their respectivecooperation activities.

As mandated by the Defence Ministers at the inauguralmeeting of the ADMM-Plus, the EWGs are focusing onpractical cooperation. This year, the EWG on MilitaryMedicine and the EWG on Maritime Security willundertake table-top exercises in July and September2012 respectively.

The ASEAN Defence Ministers convened in the 6 th ADMMon 29 May 2012 in Phnom Penh and will again meet inthe ADMM Retreat in Siam Reap in October this year.

ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting (ALAWMM)

Last Meeting 4-5 th November 2011,Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Established 1986, meets once every 36months

Senior Of cials ASEAN Senior Law Of cialMeeting (ASLOM)

Senior Of cials Of cials

8 th ALAWMM, 4-5 November 2011,Phnom Penh, Cambodia

In its continued support of ASEAN community-building

and integration efforts, the ALAWMM met at its 8 th Meetingon 4-5 November 2011, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The

ALAWMM discussed a wide range of issue pertainingto regional legal cooperation to ensure the success oftransforming ASEAN into a rules-based organisation.

The ALAWMM has been working on various areas oflegal cooperation in ASEAN, such as, development ofthe ASEAN Government Law Directory, the ASEAN LegalInformation Authorities (ALIA), Exchange of Study Visits

among legal of cers of ASEAN Member States. Theseprogrammes have greatly bene ted ASEAN MemberStates efforts in promoting awareness and understanding

of each others legal and judicial system. The ALAWMMalso provides guidance to the ASEAN Senior Law Of cialsMeeting (ASLOM) on its work on law and legal matterswhich include cooperation on mutual legal assistancesin criminal matters, extradition, counter-terrorism, andmutual legal assistance in civil and commercial matters,maritime security, and conservation of coastal andmarine environment, progressive liberalisation of trade inlegal services, and harmonisation of ASEAN trade law.

Under the initiative of the ALAWMM, the Workshopon Strengthening Legal Information Network among

ASEAN Member States was held on 12-13 June 2012in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was an important eventas it brought together representatives of ASEAN SeniorLaw Of cials Meeting and the judiciaries of each ASEANMember States to exchange views and experiences onhow to further strengthen legal cooperation in ASEANin an anticipation of the establishment of the ASEANCommunity by 2015. The Workshop also aimed atexploring ways and means on how the judiciaries of

ASEAN Member States could participate and contributeto ASEAN integration efforts, parti

asean annual report 2011-2012

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