Backgrounder: ASEAN Community

Myanmar,Nov.12(Xinhua)--The25thAssociationofSoutheastAsianNations(ASEAN)SummitkickedoffhereWednesdayunderthetheme"MovingForwardinUnitytoaPeacefulandProsperousCommunity,"bringingthebloconestepclosertocreatinganASEANCommunity.

Thecommunitybuildingprocessstartedin2003whenleadersofthe10ASEANmemberstatesagreedtoestablishanASEANCommunityatthe9thASEANsummit.

Atthe12thASEANSummitheldinJanuary2007inCebuofthePhilippines,theleadersmadeastrongcommitmenttofacilitatingtheestablishmentofanASEANCommunitybytheendof2015andsignedtheCebuDeclarationontheAccelerationoftheEstablishmentofanASEANCommunityby2015.

TheASEANCommunitycomprisesthreepillars,namelytheASEANPolitical-SecurityCommunity,theASEANEconomicCommunityandtheASEANSocio-CulturalCommunity.Eachpillarhasitsownblueprint,and,togetherwiththeInitiativeforASEANIntegration(IAI)StrategicFrameworkandIAIWorkPlanPhaseII(2009-2015),theyformtheRoadmapforanASEANCommunity(2009-2015).

TheASEANCharter,whichenteredintoforcein2008,servesasasolidfoundationandasignificantmilestoneinachievingtheASEANCommunitygoalbyprovidinglegalstatusandinstitutionalframeworkforit.ItalsocodifiesASEANnorms,rulesandvalues,setscleartargetsforASEAN,andpresentsaccountabilityandcompliance.

Togearupcapacitybuilding,ASEANhassetuptheASEANCoordinatingCouncilandthreeASEANCommunityCouncils,includingtheASEANPolitical-SecurityCommunityCouncil,theASEANEconomicCommunityCouncilandtheASEANSocio-CulturalCommunityCouncil.

Atthe19thASEANSummitheldinBali,Indonesia,inNovember2011,theASEANleadersadoptedtheBaliDeclarationonASEANCommunityinaGlobalCommunityofNations,ortheBaliConcordIII,ahistoricoutcomedocumentwhichiswidelyexpectedtoincreaseASEAN'sactiveroleinaddressingglobalissuesandtomapouttheroadforASEAN'sinteractionwiththeglobalcommunity.

ASEANleadersalsoaffirmedtheircommitmenttoadoptingamorecoordinated,cohesiveandcoherentASEANpositiononglobalissuesofcommonconcernwhichwouldfurtherraiseASEAN'scommonvoiceinrelevantmultilateralfora,andtodevelopinganenhancedASEANcapacitytocontributeandrespondtokeyglobalissuesofcommoninterestwhichwouldbenefitallASEANmemberstatesandtheirpeoples.

Atthe21stASEANSummitheldinPhnomPenh,Cambodia,in2012,ASEANleadersagreedtosign,adopt,andnotedifferentdocumentsincludingthePhnomPenhStatementontheAdoptionoftheASEANHumanRightsDeclaration,theASEANHumanRightsDeclaration(AHRD),theASEANLeaders'StatementontheEstablishmentofanASEANRegionalMineActionCenter,theBaliConcordIIIPlanofAction(2013-2017).

TheyalsolaunchedtheASEANInstituteforPeaceandReconciliationwhilepledgingtobringtheASEANcommonplatformonglobalissuesintorealityby2020.

Atthe22ndASEANSummitheldinBandarSeriBegawan,Brunei,inAprillastyear,theleadersagreedtopushaheadwiththeASEANRoadmapandASEANEconomicCommunity(AEC)Blueprint,andtointensifyregionalandsub-regionaleffortsinthespurttorealizethegoalofestablishinganASEANCommunitybytheendof2015.

WhilespellingoutconcretemeasuresandstepsnecessaryforensuringtheASEANCommunitybeestablishedasscheduled,theleaders,inviewofunbalanceddevelopmentwithintheblock,reachedconsensusthattheAECshallbefirstlyestablishedin2015.

Leadersattendingthe23rdASEANSummit,heldinOctoberalsoinBandarSeriBegawan,reaffirmedtheircommitmenttointensifyingeffortstowardsrealizingtheASEANCommunityby2015.

ThesummitadoptedastatementontheASEANCommunity'sPost-2015Vision,underwhichtheASEANCoordinatingCouncilistaskedtodevelopASEAN'sfuturedevelopmentplansinconsultationsandcoordinationwiththethreeASEANCommunityCouncils.

The24thASEANSummit,heldinMyanmarcapitalofNayPyiTawinMay,focusedonthetimelyrealizationoftheASEANCommunityby2015,strengtheningASEANinstitutionsandenvisioningastrategicdirectionfortheASEANCommunitypost-2015.

Areviewoftheachievementsofthecauseshowedthat80percentoftherequiredmeasuresoftheASEANCommunityhadbeenimplemented.

Withmerelyoneandhalfyearsbeforethe2015deadline,thesummitadoptedadeclarationontherealizationoftheASEANCommunityin2015,inwhichleadersrecognizedtheurgencyofthesuccessfulestablishmentoftheASEANCommunityby2015andagreedtostrengthenASEANunityandexpeditetheimplementationoftheremainingactionlinesundertheASEANroadmap.

ASEAN,establishedin1967,groupsBrunei,Cambodia,Indonesia,Laos,Malaysia,Myanmar,thePhilippines,Singapore,ThailandandVietnam.