module 1 - understanding asean2

8/11/2019 Module 1 - Understanding ASEAN2

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Module1

Understanding ASEAN


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Module1.1

Objectives:

To create a space for people to share their knowledge amongsteach other.

To have a basic analysis of the participants' feelings about theASEAN.

Knowledge Acquired:

Knowledge that understanding about ASEAN amongst peoplevary and their critical understanding may also be different.

Time:1 hour

Materials:Quiz sheet(Handout Material 1.1.1)

and flip chart

Procedures:

1. Divide group into 2 groups to conduct a competition quiz.

2. The group will send one representative at a time to answer the question. If answered correctly,award three points to the group. If he/she fails, then another group member may provide theanswer. Award one point if correct. If the group is unable to answer, then the floor is open tothe opponent. Award one point if the answer is correct.

3. Distribute quiz sheets and instruct that no discussion is allowed. Each person is only allowed toanswer once.

4. Tabulate results and declare the winner.

5. The facilitators will provide the correct answers to the incorrect responses. After the quiz, havea plenary discussion on the present ASEAN. Key questions/ points to stimulate opendiscussion could be:

Module1.1

ASEAN....

What is it?

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Q1: What do you know about ASEAN that exists now?

Q2: List the meetings and the different bodies within ASEAN and educate them onyour knowledge pertaining to these groups.

Q3: What are your thoughts about ASEAN? Do you think it's a big deal? Does it have

any significance to the common people?

Debriefing:

ASEAN is an important regional grouping that can make a difference.

The people in ASEAN must be able to appreciate some basic knowledge and history ofASEAN in order to have greater ownership of this inter-governmental body.

The interest of ASEAN should align with that of the common person.

Conclusion:

Ownership of ASEAN: to whom does ASEAN belong to?ASEAN people must be the centre of ASEAN.

Module11

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Module11

The Association of South East Asian Nations,

otherwise known as ASEAN, is a grouping often southeast Asian states: Brunei Darussalam,Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma(Myanmar), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand andVietnam. They group together to discussregional issues and develop regional policies forSouth East Asia.

ASEAN was founded on 8 August 1967 byIndonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and

Thailand. Its official aims and purposes includedthe promotion of regional peace and stability;and the acceleration of economic growth, socialprogress and cultural development. BruneiDarussalam joined the group in 1984, Vietnam in1995, Laos and Burma in 1997, and Cambodia in1999. Timor-Leste currently has observer statuswith ASEAN, and will become a full fledgedmember once it meets certain criteria (includingtrade liberalisation requirements), which is likelyto be around 2011.

All of the founding countries of ASEAN, apartfrom Thailand, were newly established sovereignnation-states following the period ofdecolonisation after World War II. This,combined with the onset of the Cold War, meantthat all of the governments of the foundingcountries were feeling vulnerable to challenges totheir rule, whether that be from neighbouringcountries or from groups within their owncountry (conveniently referred to bygovernments at this time as communistinsurgents). Therefore, a driving motivationbehind the foundation of ASEAN was to helpguard these governments against such challenges.Subsequently, non-interference in the internalaffairs of member states was established as a keyprinciple of ASEAN, with their means ofreaching decisions by consensus helping toensure that ASEAN has remained loyal to thisfounding principle up to the present day.

ASEAN's highest decision making body is theASEAN Summit. It meets once a year and

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

involves the heads of government of each

member state. The next notch down is theASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM), also heldannually, in which all of the foreign ministers ofASEAN come together. On the same level as theAMM are the ASEAN Economic MinistersMeeting and the ASEAN Finance MinistersMeeting. Under them comes the ASEAN SeniorOfficials Meeting, which involves the top civilservants of the relevant ministries of ASEAN,meeting throughout the year on an ad hoc basis.

The ASEAN Secretariat, based in Jakarta,Indonesia, is the administrative centre of ASEAN.Although this is not where policy decisions aremade, it is from there that decisions areimplemented. This means that the Secretariatplays an important role in drawing up plans ofaction, in collaboration with ASEAN SeniorOfficials, to implement decisions made atASEAN's high level meetings. These plans ofaction then go back up the chain of command,

being amended and endorsed at the ministerialmeetings ready for final approval at the ASEANSummit. The Secretary General heads theSecretariat, and is the figure ultimately responsiblefor coordinating and implementing ASEAN'sactivities. She or he is appointed for a five-yearterm and is selected from one of the membercountries of ASEAN according to a system ofalphabetic rotation.

ASEAN has developed a number of forums andmeetings to coincide with its own meetings inorder to engage countries from outside of SouthEast Asia in economic and security matters.

The ASEAN Plus Three (APT) forumaims at expanding cooperation, particularly oneconomic and trade issues, with North East Asia(China, Japan and South Korea). The forum firstmet informally in December 1997 and wasinstitutionalized in 1999. For the sake of

convenience, the APT is held towards the end ofthe ASEAN Summits.

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Handout Material 1.1.2


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Module1.1

The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a widergrouping which also seeks to developcooperation on economic and trade matters.Members are the ASEAN Plus Three members,Australia, India and New Zealand. The first

East Asia Summit was held in Kuala Lumpur onDecember 14, 2005. As with the APT, thesemeetings are held during the ASEAN Summits.

The Post-Ministerial Conference(PMC) takes place during the ASEANMinisterial Meeting of foreign ministers and iswhere ASEAN meets with its "DialoguePartners" to discuss economic and securityissues. These dialogue partners are Australia,Canada, China, the European Union, India,

Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, theRussian Federation, the United States and theUnited Nations Development Programme.

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF),established in 1994, is a security grouping whichis held in conjunction with the PMC. The forumaims to build trust, clarify positions and developcooperation to enhance peace and security in theAsia-Pacific region through a process of

dialogue between foreign ministers. Itsmembers are the ASEAN member states plusAustralia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, theEuropean Union, India, Japan, North Korea,South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan,Papua New Guinea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and the United States.

With the signing of the ASEAN Charter by theleaders of all 10 ASEAN member states on 20thNovember 2007 during the 13th ASEAN

Summit in Singapore, changes has beenintroduced to its structure to determine areas ofcompetence of key ASEAN bodies and theirrelationship with one another in pursuit of theregional community proposed in the ASEANVision 2020. The highest decision making bodyremains the ASEAN Summit which meetsbiannually rather than annually. Other keydecision making bodies are restructured toreflect the three pillars for an ASEANCommunity envisioned in the 2003 BaliConcord II.

The ASEAN Coordinating Council will consistof the ASEAN Foreign Ministers and shall meetbiannually. As suggested by its name, this bodywill be responsible for coordinatingimplementation of the agreements and decisions

made at the ASEAN Summit.

The ASEAN Community Councils will be madeup of senior government ministers (or theirrepresentatives) from across different sectors(each member state will decide on its nationalrepresentation for each of the Council'smeetings). These Councils will consist of theASEAN Political-Security Community Council,the ASEAN Economic Community Council,and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural CommunityCouncil. Each will coordinate and implementdecisions from the ASEAN Summit and submitreports and recommendations for consideration.

Under the purview of the relevant ASEANCommunity Council will be the ASEAN SectoralMinisterial Bodies, which will bring together theministers of specific sectors (for example, all ofthe labour ministers of all the member countrieswill make up one sectoral ministerial body).

These bodies will help to implement agreementsand decisions from the ASEAN Summit, andsubmit reports and recommendations to theirrespective Community Councils. Each ASEANSectoral Ministerial Body will then have under itspurview relevant senior officials and subsidiarybodies to assist it in its work.

The Charter establishes that each member statewill have a Permanent Representative to ASEANwith the rank of Ambassador based in Jakarta.

These representatives will collectively supportthe work of the ASEAN Community Councilsand ASEAN Sectoral Ministerial Bodies, andcoordinate with the ASEAN NationalSecretariats and the ASEAN Secretariat.Furthermore, the Permanent Representativeswill facilitate cooperation with external partners,assisting in the Charter's goal of securing a moreunited stance at the multilateral level.

(Source: FORUM-ASIA. ASEAN, Civil Society andHuman Rights: KnowingtheBasics)

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Module12

Objectives:

To understand the historical evolution of ASEAN as a regionalorganization and the implication of the 'shifts' it has taken.

To analyze the regional and global contexts impacting shifts on

ASEAN as an organization.

Knowledge Acquired:

Familiarity with the historical development of ASEAN. Understand the global, regional and national contexts shaping

decisions of ASEAN.

Time:1 hour

Material:Slideshow presentation on Introduction to ASEAN

Module1.2

ASEAN

History

Procedures:

1. Divide participants into 3 groups: Group 1967, Group 1997, Group 2007

2. Each group discuss what were significant events in the world and in South East Asiain that period as well as what was happening within countries. List the events on thewall under the respective year.

3. Facilitator then plays the Power Point on ASEAN evolution.

4. Open the floor for discussion. Key questions/ stimulating points could be:Was ASEAN also influenced by events in the country/region/globe?

Debriefing: There are significant markers in the life of ASEAN evolution. Many of these events may be relevant to events happened in the history.

Conclusion: All regional groupings underwent organizational evolution. This evolution

provides new opportunities and challenges.

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Hi. ImASEAN...Nice to meetyou folks


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The Founding of ASEAN

On 8 August 1967, five leaders - the ForeignMinisters of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,Singapore and Thailand - sat down together in themain hall of the Department of Foreign Affairsbuilding in Bangkok, Thailand and signed adocument. By virtue of that document, theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) was born. The five Foreign Ministerswho signed it - Adam Malik of Indonesia, NarcisoR. Ramos of the Philippines, Tun Abdul Razak ofMalaysia, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore, and ThanatKhoman of Thailand - would subsequently behailed as the Founding Fathers of probably themost successful inter-governmental organizationin the developing world today. And the documentthat they signed would be known as the ASEANDeclaration.

It was a short, simply-worded documentcontaining just five articles. It declared theestablishment of an Association for Regional

Cooperation among the Countries of SoutheastAsia to be known as the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN) and spelled out the aimsand purposes of that Association. These aims andpurposes were about cooperation in theeconomic, social, cultural, technical, educationaland other fields, and in the promotion of regionalpeace and stability through abiding respect forjustice and the rule of law and adherence to theprinciples of the United Nations Charter. Itstipulated that the Association would be open for

participation by all States in the Southeast Asianregion subscribing to its aims, principles andpurposes. It proclaimed ASEAN as representing"the collective will of the nations of SoutheastAsia to bind themselves together in friendshipand cooperation and, through joint efforts andsacrifices, secure for their peoples and forposterity the blessings of peace, freedom andprosperity."

Module1.2

And so in early August 1967, the five ForeignMinisters spent four days in the relative isolationof a beach resort in Bang Saen, a coastal town lessthan a hundred kilometers southeast ofBangkok. There they negotiated over thatdocument in a decidedly informal manner whichthey would later delight in describing as "sports-shirt diplomacy." Yet it was by no means an easyprocess: each man brought into the deliberationsa historical and political perspective that had noresemblance to that of any of the others. Butwith goodwill and good humor, as often as theyhuddled at the negotiating table, they finessedtheir way through their differences as they linedup their shots on the golf course and tradedwisecracks on one another's game, a style ofdeliberation which would eventually become theASEAN ministerial tradition.

The goal of ASEAN, then, is to create, not to

destroy. While the nations of Southeast Asiaprevent attempts to deprive them of theirfreedom and sovereignty, Thanat Khoman said,they must first free themselves from the materialimpediments of ignorance, disease and hunger.Each of these nations cannot accomplish thatalone, but by joining together and cooperatingwith those who have the same aspirations, theseobjectives become easier to attain. "What wehave decided today is only a small beginning ofwhat we hope will be a long and continuous

sequence of accomplishments of which weourselves, those who will join us later and thegenerations to come, can be proud. Let it be forSoutheast Asia, a potentially rich region, rich inhistory, in spiritual as well as material resourcesand indeed for the whole ancient continent ofAsia, the light of happiness and well-being thatwill shine over the uncounted millions of ourstruggling peoples."

(Source: www.asean.org)

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Handout Material 1.2


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Module13

Module1.3

ASEAN

People

Objectives:

To appreciate that the people in ASEAN have a common identitybeyond borders.

To discuss about the imagery and possibility of being oneASEAN community.

Knowledge Acquired:

Knowledge on ASEAN that people are connected throughhistory and based on present realities.

Time:1.5 hour

Materials:Butcher paper, markers

Procedures:

Part 1: (60minutes)

1. Work in groups of the same nationalities (if in an international workshop) or in groupsof the same ethnicity (if in a national workshop). Divide into groups of 4-5.

2. Each group is given a big piece of butcher paper. They start with a dot of themselves in

the middle and do mapping of their ancestral roots. Use markers to draw the linkages toplaces, events and people in one's history. It would look like a mind-mapping sketch.

3. After 20 minutes ask each group to display their papers. The whole group will movearound the hall listening to the various groups' presentation. The group presentingshould only focus on the tail-end findings of where they came from etc.

4. In plenary observe the commonalities of our ancestor.

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Module1.3

Part 2: (30 minutes)

1. In plenary, conduct a general discussion:Q1: What are the commonalities of ASEAN nations' history?Q2: Are the communities present in different parts of ASEAN come from

the same cultural or ethnic background?

2. Use meta-cards to map out common points/ ideas and paste them on the whiteboard.

Debriefing:

Many people living in one country today do come from other countries (both inASEAN and elsewhere).

The borders that made the present nation-state where a later historical makinglinked to colonisation and cross border conflicts.

Conclusion:

Many people share common traits and culture within ASEAN.The idea of ASEAN as a community of people gets better traction of somecommunities sharing certain cultural traits that are common or easilyidentifiable.

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Module13

Culture of South East Asia

South East Asia is the generally accepted name fora series of island and peninsulas which lie east ofIndia and west of China. South East Asia isblessed with abundant sunshine and plentiful rain.

With the exception of North Vietnam and a fewmountain locations, virtually all of South Asiafalls within the 27-360C annual temperaturerange.

There are, however, seasonal variations in rainfalland temperature due to changing wind andpressure systems. Warm, humid climaticconditions have given rise to lush tropical rainforests teeming with a wide variety of plant andanimal life.

Beside the climate, South East Asia nations sharessimilarities on the archeological background.Archeological evidence for the origins of someprevalent South East Asian decorative motifs maybe seen in beautifully ornamented ritual bronzeartefacts, such as kettle drums, weapons and bells,which have been uncovered from many sitesthroughout the regions.

This corner of the world is also remarkable for itsincredible diversity of ethnic groups, each of whichhas its own language, customs, mores, and religiousbelief. South East Asia today has a sprinkling ofhunting-gathering Negrito people, such as the Aetaof the Philippines, the Semang of Malaysia, and theOrang Kubu of Sumatra.

Austroloid people are also thought to have passedthrough South-East Asia during the early migrationperiod. Traces of these people may be seen in thecurrent racial stock of Timor and Flores. Meanwhilethe majority of the present day indigenouspopulation are basically Mongoloid, consisting ofvarious people who migrated from South China andthe Tibetan border areas at various times.

The earliest and most far reaching influence whichwas to permeate South East Asia was that of India.Many local rulers adopted such 'Indianized' ideas asa belief in a god-like king at the head of ahierarchical administration system, an ancestralgenealogical pedigree system, the lunar-solarcalendar, astrology, and several of Hindu ritualworship. Buddhism was brought from India bytraders.

The basic proportions and much of the

iconography for South East Asia religious art comefrom India cannons of design. Classical Indian artmotifs, such as crowned snakes, the Makara watermonster, the Kala monster face mask, the garudabird (the mount of the Hindu God Vishnu),peacocks, the lotus, the 'vase of plenty' and thewishing appear on South East Asia textiles.

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Module1.3

Local languages have been greatly enrichedby the loan from Sanskrit, the ancient andsacred language of India. Indian epics, suchas the Mahabharata and the Ramayana and

the Buddhist Jataka Tales, form the basis ofclassical theatre in South East Asia. TheRamayana is performed as a puppet play insouthern Thailand, northern Malaysia andJava, and as a dance drama in Burma, Laos,central Thailand and central Java. Puppetfigures from these epics (called wayang)appear on the textiles of Bali and Lombok inIndonesia.

During the early years of Ming Dynasty

(1368-1644), China took a more activeinterest in South East Asia. The influence ofChina culture can be seen in ceramics.Chinese ceramics have been imitated inbrassware by the Maranao people ofsouthern Philippines, while some ceramicsmotifs have been widely copied on SouthEast Asian textiles.

Images of Dragon from stoneware jars mayoccasionally be seen on warp ikat clothesfrom Sumba. In Bali and Thailand, the banji,or swastika, motif is a pattern regularlyencountered on silk weft ikat. It may also beseen in a supplementary weft on Lao, Shan,and Kachin textiles.

Meanwhile the influence of Muslim to SouthEast Asia may be seen in the soft, loosely wovendouble ikat-pattern patola cloth, sometimescalled cinde. Patola textiles became symbols of

wealth and prestige. The royal weft ikat cloth ofThailand and Cambodia is similar with the weftikat cloths from Inle Lake in Burma and somesarongs, such as the malong andong of southernPhilippines.

The European influences by the spread ofWestern hygiene, improved sanitation, andhealth care have led to a decreased death rate andlead to the increase in population. Whileeducation and the spread of Western ideas and

technology have been responsible for muchmaterial progress, they have contributed to acleavage between new and traditional ways oflife. The influence of the textile motifs can beseen in the use of garden flowers in cloth fromArakan and Amarapura in Burma, Laos,Javanese Batik and Timor.

South East Asian shares some similarities fromthe ancestors, artefacts up to the influencebrought by India, China, Muslim and Europe.However, the South East Asia nations have thesame backgrounds. The similarities lead to theunity among the nations.

(Source: http:/ / www.asean-tourism.com)

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Module14

Module1.4

ASEAN as aCommunity of

Peoples

Objectives:

To introduce the community blueprints of ASEAN as in-roadsto people's participation.

To identify crucial information behind the blueprints for criticalengagement.

Knowledge Acquired:

Knowledge on ASEAN community blue-prints and familiaritywith ASEAN.

Time:1hour

Materials:Community blueprints

Procedures:

1. Before the participants are broken into groups, the facilitator shall present an overviewof the ASEAN community blue-prints. He/ she then provides copy of these blue-prints to all the participants.

2. The facilitator will then divide the participants into 3 groups. The first group shall becalled the Hanoi Plan. The facilitator will give a brief description of the significanceof the 1998 Hanoi Plan to situate the participants. The second group will be named the

Bali Concord in reference to the significance of the 2003 concord. The third groupwill be known as Vientiane Action Programme. The facilitator will provide thesignificance of the name to ASEAN.

3. Each group tackles one pillar. The Hanoi Plan group will deal with the ASEANPolitical-Security Community (APSC), Bali Concord will tackle the ASEANEconomic Community (AEC), and the Vientiane Action Programme group will takeon the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC).

4. The groups shall discuss the following guiding questions:

Q1: What is your perception of current realities in the region?

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Module1.4

Q2: Based on this perception, critique the characteristics of the communitypillar assigned to you.

Q3: What are the crucial issues or information that came up?Q4: How can we use this pillar to advance common issues?

Debriefing:

The formation of the ASEAN community pillars is aimed at creating a community ofcaring society; however, the uneven development in each ASEAN nation may lead touneven distribution of benefits.

There is a lack of enforcement on good rules in ASEAN. There is also a lack ofcommunication and shared information on vital aspects, e.g. labor market. (The qualityof data on labor migration in ASEAN countries is uneven.)

There is little interaction between ASEAN bodies addressing the same concerns. EachASEAN body undertakes its respective tasks in accordance with its mandates underthe three different pillars of the ASEAN Community with little coordination.

Regional commitments are not necessarily synchronized with national interests (i.e.migrant issues).

oriented ASEAN will society benefit from the process of ASEAN integration andcommunity building.

Conclusion:

Building ASEAN identity by promoting greater awareness and common values in thespirit of unity at all levels of society is important. A more integrated ASEAN will enable ASEAN members to build solidarity and

partnerships to narrow development gaps and ensure achievements of commonplatform in the region.

ASEAN must ensure a thorough process of deepening cooperation to generate mutualinterest and to ensure promotion and protection of the peoples rights.

To effectively achieve the ASEAN vision of a caring society, it must sustain desire forcooperation and consultation with civil society organizations, to demonstrate strongpolitical will and commitment of the governments concerned.

TheASEAN community pillars are inter-related. Coordination among them is vital inbuilding a credible, efficient and effective ASEAN community.

Border confrontations and the spill-over of transnational problemssuch as migration and the environment should be taken into consideration in the

ASEAN community pillars.

ASEAN must work on the common ownership of the community considering thedifferences in history and culture. Only with people's participation and having people-

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Module14A SEA N Community

POLITICAL-

SECURITY

Rules based, shared

norms and values

Cohesive, peaceful,

stable, resilient with

shared responsibility

Dynamic and outward

looking

ECONOMIC SOCIO-

CULTURAL

Single market andproduction base

Competitive economic

region

Equitable economic

development

Integration into global

economy

Human development

Social Welfare and

Protection

Social justice and rights

Environmental

sustainability

ASEAN Identity

A SEA N Charter

ASEAN Political-Security

Community

ASEAN Ministerial

Meeting(AMM)

ASEAN Regional

Forum(ARF)

Defence

Law

Transnational Crime

ASEAN Political-SecurityCommunity Blueprint

ASEAN Economic Community

ASEAN Economic Ministers

(AEM)

ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)

Energy

Food, Agriculture & Forestry

Finance

Investment

Minerals

Mekong Basin Development

Cooperation

Transport

Telecommunication & IT

Tourism

Sectoral Bodies under the

Purview of ASEAN Economic

Ministers

ASEAN Economic Community

Blueprint

ASEAN COMMUNITY

ASEAN Socio-Cultural

Community

Culture & Arts

Disaster Management

Education

Environment

Haze

Health Information

Labour

Rural Development &

Poverty Eradication

Science & Technology

Social Welfare &

Development

Women

Youth

ASEAN Political-Security

Community Blueprint

Community Outreach

(Credit: www.asean.org)


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Module1.5

Objectives:

To familiarize participants with the key principles and content ofthe ASEAN charter.

To understand emerging norms and standards of ASEAN as wellas the trends and emerging challenges impacting the region.

Knowledge Acquired:

Knowledge on ASEAN charter and its regional platform.

Time:1 hour 15 minutes

Materials:Copies of the scenario of Summer Island

Module1.5

ASEAN

Charter

Procedures:

1. The facilitator divides the participants into 3 groups. He/ she then presents a scenarioof a 'survivor island'. The scenario tells a story as following:

A series of catastrophes struck the world because of people's abuse of theenvironment and natural resources. The last of the series of calamity was agreat flood that drowned almost all remaining life forms except for a few luckyindividuals including you, and an uninhabited island flourishing with thenature's fauna and flora.

At the stroke of events, you found yourself together with others in the island.You gathered together to manage and discuss the situation, set rules to managethe island, thinking of starting a new world.

Your group is then to debate, argue, deliberate, negotiate and unite on 10principles that all must adhere. Write these principles on the meta-cardsprovided.

2. Present the set of principles in the plenary and explain why.

3. The 3 groups will then try to come to a consensus on a list of 10 for all participants.

o

oo

o

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Module15Debriefing:

The activity is a spring board of negotiation to draft a charter.

The facilitator poses the following questions after the reporting:

o How do you feel about the activity, particularly the negotiation?Is it important or trivial? Explain why.How does the group manage to incorporate suggestions?What are your general thoughts? What are the rationale for yoursuggestions?

Are all members amenable to the final principles?What are the sacrifices that members have had to make to adhere to theprinciples?

The facilitator then presents the key principles found in the ASEAN Charter.

Key principles: sovereignty (territorial integrity), equality, non-interference, unity in diversity (national identity), rule of law, non-discrimination, consensus.Emerging norms: peace, security, stability, collective commitment and

responsibility.

Conclusion:

A Charter is a formal framework. ASEAN now is a rules-based organization. With its charter, it now has a legal identity

and governing laws to adhere to. ASEAN still has a long way to go to achieve its vision. It needs to codify its principles according to the highest standards of human rights. ASEAN should concretize into action its aspiration of and unity under One Vision,

One Identity and One Caring and Sharing Community. ASEAN charter is only the beginning of engaging the region and its peoples on the

importance of human rights.

o

o

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oo

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Module1.5

ASEAN Charter

The ASEAN Charter serves as a firm foundationin achieving the ASEAN Community byproviding legal status and institutional frameworkfor ASEAN. It also codifies ASEAN norms,rules and values; sets clear targets for ASEAN;and presents accountability and compliance.

The ASEAN Charter was entered into force on15 December 2008. With the entry into force ofthe ASEAN Charter, ASEAN henceforthoperates under a new legal framework andestablishes a number of new organs to boost itscommunity-building process.

In effect, the ASEAN Charter has become a legallybinding agreement among the 10 ASEANMember States. It will also be registered with theSecretariat of the United Nations, pursuant toArticle 102, Paragraph 1 of the Charter of theUnited Nations.

The importance of the ASEAN Charter can be

seen in the following contexts:

New political commitment at the top levelNew and enhanced commitmentsNew legal framework, legal personalityNew ASEAN bodiesTwo new openly-recruited DSGs

More ASEAN meetingsMore roles of ASEAN Foreign MinistersNew and enhanced role of the Secretary-General of ASEAN Other new initiatives andchanges

Additional ReadingMaterial:http:/ / www.zum.de/ whkmla/ sp/ 0607/ seongmin/seongmin.html#major

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Module15

WE, THE PEOPLES of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN), as represented by the Heads of State or Government of :

NOTING with satisfaction the significant achievements and expansion of ASEAN since itsestablishment;

RECALLING the decisions to establish an ASEAN Charter in the Vientiane ActionProgramme, the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Charter and

the Cebu Declaration on the Blueprint of the ASEAN Charter;

MINDFUL of the existence of mutual interests and interdependence among the peoples andMember States of ASEAN;

INSPIRED by and united under One Vision, One Identity and One Caring and SharingCommunity;

UNITED by a common desire and collective will to live in a region of lasting peace, securityand stability, sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and social progress, and to promote

our vital interests, ideals and aspirations;

RESPECTING the fundamental importance of amity and cooperation, and the principles ofsovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, non-interference, consensus and unity in diversity;

ADHERING to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, respect forand protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

RESOLVED to ensure sustainable development for the benefit of present and futuregenerations and to place the well-being, livelihood and welfare of the peoples at the centre of

the ASEAN community building process;

CONVINCED of the need to strengthen existing bonds of regional solidarity to realise anASEAN Community that is politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible

in order to effectively respond to current and future challenges and opportunities;

COMMITTED to intensifying community building through enhanced regional cooperation andintegration, in particular by establishing an ASEAN Community comprising the ASEANSecurity Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural

Community, as provided for in the Bali Declaration of ASEAN Concord II;

HEREBY DECIDE to establish, through this Charter, the legal and institutional framework forASEAN

CHARTEROFTHEASSOCIATIONOFSOUTHEASTASIANNATIONS

Source ASEAN Charter, wwwasean.org)

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Module1.6

Objectives: To familiarize participants with the key characteristics and

principles of ASEAN. To know the various expressions of ASEAN principles. To recognise some key characteristics that mark ASEAN

globally.

Knowledge Acquired: Familiarity with the ASEAN principles and the various ASEAN

mechanisms.

Time:1.5 hour

Materials:ASEAN Charter booklets

Module1.6

ASEANCharter &Principles

Procedures:

1. In plenary, ask what should be the key ideal principles for a regional organizationlike ASEAN. List out about 10 points or principles.

2. Then, distribute a copy of the ASEAN charter booklet to each participant.Allocate 10 minutes for participants to read the preamble, purpose, principlessections of the Charter.

3. Have an open discussion in plenary on what are the purposes and principles of

ASEAN. Key questions/ points to stimulate open discussion could be:Q1: What is good and encouraging in the charter?Q2: What is seemingly weak or non-empowering in the charter?

Debriefing:

The peoples in this region need to know what ASEAN as an organisation is. There must be a greater outreach on this message of ASEAN to the common

person all over South East Asia

Conclusion:

There is a new rules-based regional body that has some hopeful principles as itsmandates

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Module16

ASEAN Character and Principles

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, orASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 inBangkok, Thailand, with the signing of theASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) bythe Founding Fathers of ASEAN, namelyIndonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore andThailand. Brunei Darussalam then joined on 8January 1984, Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, LaoPDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, andCambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what istoday the ten Member States of ASEAN.As set out in the ASEAN Declaration, the aimsand purposes of ASEAN are:

To accelerate the economic growth,social progress and cultural development

in the region through joint endeavors inthe spirit of equality and partnership inorder to strengthen the foundation for aprosperous and peaceful community ofSoutheast Asian Nations;To promote regional peace and stabilitythrough abiding respect for justice andthe rule of law in the relationship amongcountries of the region and adherence tothe principles of the United Nations

Charter;To promote active collaboration andmutual assistance on matters ofcommon interest in the economic, social,cultural, technical, scientific andadministrative fields;To provide assistance to each other in theform of training and research facilities inthe educational, professional, technicaland administrative spheres;To collaborate more effectively for the

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greater utilisation of their agriculture andindustries, the expansion of their trade,including the study of the problems ofinternational commodity trade, theimprovement of their transportation andcommunications facilities and the raisingof the living standards of their peoples;To promote Southeast Asian studies; andTo maintain close and beneficialcooperation with existing internationaland regional organisations with similaraims and purposes, and explore allavenues for even closer cooperationamong themselves. In their relations withone another, the ASEAN Member Stateshave adopted the following fundamental

principles, as contained in the Treaty ofAmity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia(TAC) of 1976:

Mutual respect for the independence,sovereignty, equality, territorialintegrity, and national identity of allnations;The right of every State to lead itsnational existence free from externalinterference, subversion or coercion;

Non-interference in the internal affairsof one another;Settlement of differences or disputesby peaceful manner;Renunciation of the threat or use offorce; andEffective cooperation amongthemselves.

(Source:www.asean.org)

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Module1.7

Objectives:

To comprehend ASEAN structure and the power relationswithin ASEAN.

To know the various mandates within the ASEAN structure with

its people and leaders. To understand the ASEAN procedures and platform asappropriate venues and tools for engagement.

Knowledge Acquired:

Knowledge on the structure and mandate of ASEANmechanisms.

Time:1.5 hours

Materials:ASEAN Structure

Module1.7

ASEANStructures

Procedures:

1. The facilitator divides the participants into 5 small groups:

Group 1: ASEAN Summit ; identify the power and responsibilities of the ASEANSummit. Provide them with yellow meta-cards and yellow and white yarns.

Group 2: ASEAN Coordinating Council; identify the powers and responsibilities of

the ASEAN Coordinating Council. They will be provided with red meta-cardsand red and white yarns.

Group 3: ASEAN Community Council ;the powers and responsibilities of theASEAN Community Councils, provided with blue meta-cards and blue andwhite yarns.

Group 4:ASEAN Sectoral Bodies ;the powers and responsibilities of the ASEANSectoral Bodies, provided with green meta-cards and green and white yarns.

Group 5: Secretary-General and the ASEAN Secretariat ; the powers andresponsibilities of the Secretary-General and the ASEAN secretariat, providedwith orange meta-cards and orange and white yarns.

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Module17 2. As the facilitator assigns the name and the tasks of the groups, he/ sheexplains the composition of the different ASEAN bodies.

3. The groups discuss and write on the meta-cards the identified powersand responsibilities of the assigned ASEAN body; paste each on thegroup member's shirt for everyone to see.

4. After the allotted time for group discussion and writing, the facilitatorshall ask the participants to gather themselves by group around thecorners of the training hall.

5. Using the yarns, the ASEAN Summit enumerates its powers and bindsthe whole group/s to which it has the power over; bind itself with the

white yarn and hand over the end of the white yarn to a group to whomyou have responsibility to report or fulfil. This activity continues until allthe groups have reported and have bound themselves with the yarns.

6. A round of reading aloud the powers of the group shall ensue to stresson the powers that the group commands to other while pulling the stringof the specified group to whom you have power or responsibility to.

Allow reflection on the activity

Debriefing:

Is the ASEAN's management system efficient?

Discuss coordination and sharing of responsibilities. What do youobserve?

The ASEAN secretariat is weak due to limited authority, roles, humanresources and political support.

The seat of power resides in the ASEAN Summit.

Interaction and linkages between and among groups are limited.

Conclusion:

Engaging ASEAN should be multi-level, multi-tracked to ensure level ofsuccess.

Power relations play an important part in an organization. Too muchpower over the other groups weakens coordination and interactions.

Power should be balanced in a responsibile and accountable manner.

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Module1.7

Charter-Based

ASEAN Summit: Supreme policy-making body of ASEAN ASEAN Coordinating Council (Foreign Minsters): coordinates the meetings of ASEAN

Summit/ Coordinate the implementation of agreements and decisions of the ASEANSummit

ASEAN Community Council (comprises of ASEAN Political Security Community Council,ASEAN Economic Community Council, and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council)

ASEAN Sectoral Ministerial Bodies ASEAN Secretary-General Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to ASEAN: facilitates ASEAN

cooperation with external partners (including CSO) ASEAN National Secretariat

(Source: ASEAN Charter, UnderstandingASEAN: its systems, structures and mechanisms

by Yuyun Wahyuningrum)

Pre-Charter

ILLUSTRATIVE ASEAN

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

ASEAN SUMMIT

AEM AMM AFMM OTHERS

SEOM

Sub-Committees/

Working Groups

ASC SOM

Working

Groups

Working

Groups

ASEAN Secretrariat

ASFOM

Sub-Committees/

Working Groups

Committees

Sub-Committees/

Working Groups

ASEAN Structure

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Module1.8

Debriefing:

Regional experiences serve as guide for charting the future of theASEAN and its newly formed charter-based bodies.

Peoples and civil society play an important role in shaping a regionalhuman rights regime.

Good practices of other regional mechanism/ formation should bevalidated to fit into the ASEAN experience before any attempt ofreplication.

Conclusion

NHRIs and NGO's play a very important role in developing effectiveregional mechanisms.

Regional HR mechanisms should not fall short of the standard set by theUnited Nations.

Regional Inter-governmental formations are potentially effective toolsin setting up thematic protection mechanisms.

Over time, respect for human rights may become part of the common

ASEAN identity.

Complaint mechanisms (individual and collective) are crucial forpeoples' human rights protection.

Monitoring HR situations in the region is a pro-active, vigilant functionof every mechanism.

Information and public report/ progressive approach of interpretingHR Instruments are important

Promotional and protective aspect of the mandate should equally berespected.

Human rights work should not compromise its principles ofuniversality, indivisibility and interdependence.

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The Organization of American States (OAS) isthe worlds oldest regional organization, datingback to the First International Conference ofAmerican States, which was held in Washington,D.C. from October 1889 to April 1890. At thatconference, the establishment of theInternational Union of American Republics wasapproved and the stage was set for the weavingtogether of a web of provisions and institutionsthat came to be known as the inter-Americansystem, the oldest of the internationalinstitutional systems.

The OAS came into being in 1948 with the

signing, in Bogot, Colombia, of the Charter ofthe OAS. The Charter entered into force inDecember 1951 and was subsequently amendedby the Protocol of Buenos Aires, which wassigned in 1967 and which entered into force inFebruary 1970; by the Protocol of Cartagena deIndias, which was signed in 1985 and whichentered into force in November 1988; by theProtocol of Managua, which was signed in 1993and which entered into force on January 29, 1996;and by the Protocol of Washington, which was

signed in 1992 and which entered into force onSeptember 25, 1997.

The ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES

The OAS was established to achieve among itsmember states, as stated in Article 1 of its Charter,an order of peace and justice, to promote theirsolidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and todefend their sovereignty, their territorial integrity,and their independence. Today it comprises the 35independent states of the Americas and hasgranted permanent observer status to 63 states, aswell as to the European Union. The Organizationof American States constitutes the principalpolitical, juridical, and social governmental forumin the Hemisphere.The OAS uses a four-pronged approach toeffectively implement its essential purposes, based

on its pillars: democracy, human rights, security,and development.

Module18

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Module18 The Organisation of African Unity (OAU)was established on 25 May 1963 in AddisAbaba, on signature of the OAU Charter by

representatives of 32 governments. A further21 states have joined gradually over the years, withSouth Africa becoming the 53rd member on 23May 1994.

The OAU aims to promote the unity and solidarityof African States; co-ordinate and intensify theirco-operation and efforts to achieve a better life forthe peoples of Africa; defend their sovereignty,territorial integrity and independence; eradicateall forms of colonialism from Africa; promoteinternational co-operation, giving due regard tothe Charter of the United Nations and theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights; and co-ordinate and harmonise members political,diplomatic, economic, educational, cultural,health, welfare, scientific, technical and defencepolicies.

It had become evident and accepted as early as1979, when the Committee on the Review of the

Charter was established that a need existed toamend the OAU Charter in order to streamlinethe Organisation to gear it more accurately for thechallenges of a changing world. However, despitenumerous meetings the Charter ReviewCommittee did not manage to formulatesubstantive amendments. The result of this wasthreefold:

The Charter was "amended" by beingaugmented through ad hoc decisions ofSummit such as the Cairo DeclarationEstablishing the Mechanism for ConflictPrevention, Management andResolution, etc;A growing realisation that the need forgreater efficiency and effectivity of theOrganisation required urgent action; andThe need to integrate the politicalactivities of the OAU with the economicand developmental issues as articulatedin the Abuja Treaty.

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The Organization of African Unity

An Extraordinary Summit of the OAU held in Sirte,Libya on 9 September 1999 called for theestablishment of an African Union in conformity

with the ultimate objectives of the OAU Charter andthe provisions of the Treaty establishing the AfricanEconomic Community. Following this, theConstitutive Act of the African Union was adoptedduring the Lom Summit of the OAU on 11 July2000. The Union will evolve from the OAU and theAEC into one unified institution.

In general, the African Union objectives are differentand more comprehensive than those of the OAU.The objectives of the African Union, as contained inthe Constitutive Act, are to:

Achieve greater unity and solidarity betweenAfrican countries and the peoples of Africa;Defend the sovereignty, territorial integrityand independence of its Member States; Accelerate the political and socio-economicintegration of the continent;Promote and defend African commonpositions on issues of interest to the

continent and its peoples;Encourage international cooperation,taking due account of the Charter of theUnited Nations and the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights;Promote peace, security, and stability on thecontinent;Promote democratic principles andinstitutions, popular participation and goodgovernance;

Promote and protect human peoples rightsin accordance with the African Charter onHuman and Peoples Rights and otherrelevant human rights instruments;Establish the necessary conditions whichenable the continent to play its rightful rolein the global economy and in internationalnegotiations;Promote sustainable development at theeconomic, social and cultural levels as well

as the integration of African economies;

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Promote cooperation in all fields ofhuman activity to raise the livingstandards of African peoples;Coordinate and harmonise the policiesbetween the existing and future Regional

Economic Communities for the gradualattainment of the objectives of theUnion;Advance the development of thecontinent by promoting research in allfields, in particular in science andtechnology; andWork with relevant internationalpartners in the eradication ofpreventable diseases and the promotion

of good health on the continent.

These are expressed in various treaties andprotocols and specialized agencies of the OAU.The Constitutive Act makes provision for adefined transitional period which will ensure asmooth and gradual transition of the OAU andAEC into the Union. Constitutive Act to replacethe Charter of the OAU. The Constitutive Actwill enter into force thirty days after ratificationby two-thirds of the 53 Member States of the

OAU, replacing the OAU Charter of 1963.However, the Charter shall remain operative for atransitional period of one year or such furtherperiod as may be determined by the Assembly, forthe purpose of enabling the OAU/ AEC toundertake the necessary measures regarding the

devolution of its assets and liabilities to theAfrican Union and all matters relating thereto.

The adoption of the Constitutive Act should beseen as the first step in an ongoing process tostreamline and rationalise the existingorganisational framework of the Continent, in sodoing making the African Union relevant to thedemands of the 21st Century and to achieve theultimate goal of complete African unity. TheAfrican Union would build on the successes of theOAU, which, since its inception, has developed intothe political and economic fulcrum of Africa.

The Lom Summit in 2000 also acknowledged the

Conference on Security, Stability, Development andCooperation in Africa (CSSDCA) as creating asynergy between the various activities currentlyundertaken by the OAU/AEC, which thereforeshould help to consolidate the work of theOAU/AEC in the areas of peace, security, stability,development and co-operation. In this regard, theCSSDCA should provide a policy developmentforum for the elaboration and advancement ofcommon values within the main policy organs ofthe OAU/ AEC.

For additional readingseeModule1 Appendices

module 1 - understanding asean2

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