“A WORLD OF REGIONS”

Regionalism

Regionalism is a political process characterized by economic policy cooperation

and coordination among countries.

Regionalization is the regional concentration of economic flows.

Regions are group of countries located in the same geographically specified area
organized to regulate and oversee flows & policy choices.

Countries form regional associations for several reasons:

1. Military Defense
2. Pool their resources
3. Protect independence
4. Economic crisis

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) - formed during the Cold War when
several Western European countries and the US agreed to protect Europe against the
threat of the Soviet Union.

OAPEC (Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries) – was established

in 1960 by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela to regulate the production of
sale of oil.

NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) - established in 1961 by the Presidents of Egypt,

Ghana, India, Indonesia, & Yugoslavia to pursue world peace and international
cooperation, human rights, national sovereignty, racial & national equality,
non-intervention, and peaceful conflict resolution.

Establishment of the ASEAN

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8

August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok
Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia,
Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Brunei Darussalam then joined on 7 January 1984, Viet Nam on 28 July 1995,
Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up
what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.
Aims and Purposes

As set out in the ASEAN Declaration, the aims and purposes of ASEAN are:

✔ To accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in

the region through joint endeavors in the spirit of equality and partnership in
order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of
Southeast Asian Nations;

✔ To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and
the rule of law in the relationship among countries of the region and adherence to
the principles of the United Nations Charter;
✔ To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common
interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative
fields;

✔ To provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities
in the educational, professional, technical and administrative spheres;

✔ To collaborate more effectively for the greater utilization of their agriculture and
industries, the expansion of their trade, including the study of the problems of
international commodity trade, the improvement of their transportation and
communications facilities and the raising of the living standards of their peoples;

✔ To promote Southeast Asian studies; and

✔ To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and

regional organizations with similar aims and purposes, and explore all avenues
for even closer cooperation among themselves.

Fundamental Principles

In their relations with one another, the ASEAN Member States have adopted the
following fundamental principles, as contained in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in
Southeast Asia (TAC) of 1976:

✔ Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity,

and national identity of all nations;

✔ The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external
interference, subversion or coercion;

✔ Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;

 ✔ Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner;

✔ Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and

✔ Effective cooperation among themselves.

The ASEAN Community

The ASEAN Vision 2020, adopted by the ASEAN Leaders on the 30th
Anniversary of ASEAN, agreed on a shared vision of ASEAN as a concert of Southeast
Asian nations, outward looking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together
in partnership in dynamic development and in a community of caring societies.

At the 9th ASEAN Summit in 2003, the ASEAN Leaders resolved that an ASEAN
Community shall be established.

At the 12th ASEAN Summit in January 2007, the Leaders affirmed their strong
commitment to accelerate the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015 and
signed the Cebu Declaration on the Acceleration of the Establishment of an ASEAN
Community by 2015.

The ASEAN Community is comprised of three pillars, namely the ASEAN

Political-Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural
Community. Each pillar has its own Blueprint, and, together with the Initiative for ASEAN
Integration (IAI) Strategic Framework and IAI Work Plan Phase II (2009-2015), they
form the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community 2009-2015.

The ASEAN Charter

The ASEAN Charter serves as a firm foundation in achieving the ASEAN

Community by providing legal status and institutional framework for ASEAN. It also
codifies ASEAN norms, rules and values; sets clear targets for ASEAN; and presents
accountability and compliance.

The ASEAN Charter entered into force on 15 December 2008. A gathering of the
ASEAN Foreign Ministers was held at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta to mark this
very historic occasion for ASEAN.

With the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter, ASEAN will henceforth operate
under a new legal framework and establish a number of new organs to boost its
community-building process.

In effect, the ASEAN Charter has become a legally binding agreement among
the 10 ASEAN Member States.
The European Union

The European Union is a unique economic and political union between 27 EU

countries that together cover much of the continent.

The predecessor of the EU was created in the aftermath of the Second World
War. The first steps were to foster economic cooperation: the idea being that countries
that trade with one another become economically interdependent and so more likely to
avoid conflict.

The result was the European Economic Community (EEC), created in 1958, and
initially increasing economic cooperation between six countries: Belgium, Germany,
France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Since then, 22 other members joined and a huge single market (also known as
the 'internal' market) has been created and continues to develop towards its full
potential.

On 31 January 2020 the United Kingdom left the European Union.

What began as a purely economic union has evolved into an organization

spanning policy areas, from climate, environment and health to external relations and
security, justice and migration. A name changes from the European Economic
Community (EEC) to the European Union (EU) in 1993 reflected this.

Stability, a single currency, mobility and growth

The EU has delivered more than half a century of peace, stability and prosperity,
helped raise living standards and launched a single European currency: the euro. More
than 340 million EU citizens in 19 countries now use it as their currency and enjoy its
benefits.

Thanks to the abolition of border controls between EU countries, people can

travel freely throughout most of the continent. And it has become much easier to live,
work and travel abroad in Europe. All EU citizens have the right and freedom to choose
in which EU country they want to study, work or retire. Every EU country must treat EU
citizens in exactly the same way as its own citizens for employment, social security and
tax purposes.

The EU's main economic engine is the single market. It enables most goods,
services, money and people to move freely. The EU aims to develop this huge resource
to other areas like energy, knowledge and capital markets to ensure that Europeans can
draw the maximum benefit from it.
Transparent and democratic institutions

The EU remains focused on making its governing institutions more transparent

and democratic. Decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible
to the citizen.

More powers have been given to the directly elected European Parliament, while
national parliaments play a greater role, working alongside the European institutions.

The EU is governed by the principle of representative democracy, with citizens

directly represented at Union level in the European Parliament and Member States
represented in the European Council and the Council of the EU.

European citizens are encouraged to contribute to the democratic life of the

Union by giving their views on EU policies during their development or suggest
improvements to existing laws and policies. The European citizens' initiative empowers
citizens to have a greater say on EU policies that affect their lives. Citizens can also
submit complaints and enquiries concerning the application of EU law.

The EU in the world

Trade

The European Union is the largest trade block in the world. It is the world's
biggest exporter of manufactured goods and services, and the biggest import market for
over 100 countries.

Free trade among its members was one of the EU's founding principles. This is possible
thanks to the single market. Beyond its borders, the EU is also committed to liberalizing
world trade.

Humanitarian aid

The EU is committed to helping victims of man-made and natural disasters

worldwide and supports over 120 million people each year. Collectively, the EU and its
constituent countries are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid.

Diplomacy and security

The EU plays an important role in diplomacy and works to foster stability, security
and prosperity, democracy, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law at international
level.

References:
● Claudio and Abinales (2018) The Contemporary World
● https://asean.org/asean/about-asean/