It came into force on 25 March 1997. ASEAN has established a joint Cooperation Committee with each of  them to promote economic and development cooperation. Regional economic cooperation in the Asian and Pacific region, however, is a relatively recent phenomenon. The ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting could not take place as scheduled last March 1999, because of the EU policy of not issuing visas to high-ranking officials of Myanmar. ASEAN took this major step to consolidate peace and stability in the region after the end of the Cold War. In addition to being in charge of the ASEAN Secretariat, the Secretary-General serves as the spokesman and representative of ASEAN on all matters; addresses the AMM on all aspects of regional cooperation and offers assessments and recommendations on ASEAN’s external relations; attends and advises all ASEAN meetings at the ministerial level; and chairs on behalf of the Chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee (ASC) all meetings of the ASC except the first and last for each year. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers have regular consultations with their counterparts from other regional organisations, such as the Economic Cooperation organisation, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the South Pacific Forum, and the Rio Group. Limited regional cooperation on climate change mitigation also exposes ASEAN and its member states to international criticism, and limits their credibility in shaping the discourse on climate justice and sustainability issues in the global arena. This includes cross-border e-commerce and other new trading methods resulting from globalisation and technological advancement, requiring governments to find innovative ways to protect and promote the interests of consumers. ConclusionThe ASEAN regional cooperation was marked by the birth of ASEAN Way in 1967. Vietnam’s Mekong delta coping with record high levels of drought and salinisation in March 2020 Consultations are underway on the accession of the Nuclear Weapon States to the Protocol of the SEANWFZ Treaty. The RCF, which has been endorsed by the ASEAN Economic Ministers (“AEM”), sets out the general objectives, principles, and possible areas of cooperation among ASEAN Member States that may be undertaken on a bilateral, multilateral, sub … ASEAN has about  45 affiliated non-governmental organisations working in various fields. Going forward, the collective policies that the governments will enact will play a critical role in shaping the future of regional cooperation. Following the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis and the contagion evident around the region, ADB was asked to use its knowledge-based expertise to help monitor the recovery and report objectively on potential vulnerabilities and policy solutions. It launched the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and the Common Effective Preferential Tariff Scheme as the main mechanism for AFTA. Besides cooperation between its own members, ASEAN also actively embraced multilateral cooperation with external partners. WA: ASEAN now includes all countries in Southeast Asia. The Asia Regional Integration Center (ARIC) is an ongoing technical assistance project of the Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department (ERCD). RCS: The 1971 Declaration on the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality constituted ASEAN’s first collective expression of its political goals and direction. The process of regional integration will ensure that new members of ASEAN participate in and benefit fully from ASEAN activities. Covid-19 has left ASEAN at a crisis crossroads. The areas of ASEAN cooperation include education, the environment, social welfare, science and technology, culture and information, youth, transnational crime, trade, investment, agriculture, transport, tourism, energy, finance, political matters and security. It has no regional parliament or council of ministers with law-making powers, no power of enforcement, and no judicial system. As a result, ASEAN cooperation is largely driven by the political will and commitments of individual nations. that “the main challenge of the ASEAN Regional Forum is to sustain and enhance this peace and prosperity.”. By the beginning of 2000, 90 per cent of such products, and at least 85 per cent for each country, will be subject to these minimal tariffs. Being part of one organisation is the best way for all Southeast Asian countries to discuss common problems and issues that have regional implications. However, on certain occasions, it takes a little longer to arrive at consensus because ASEAN’s enlargement has brought about not only a larger ASEAN, but also a more diverse one. The ASAPCP 2025 was then endorsed at the 48th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting on 3 August 2016 in Vientiane, Lao PDR. The RCEP is a regional free trade agreement designed to include the ten ASEAN members along with the countries which currently have free trade agreements with ASEAN; … Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The SAARC comprises 3% of the world's area, 21% of the world's population and 4.21% (US$3.67 trillion) of the global economy, as of … Covid-19 has left ASEAN at a crisis crossroads. WA: There were apparently some political difficulties regarding the inclusion of Myanmar and Cambodia. 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; This represents 90 per cent of all intra-ASEAN trade. Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, High Level Task Force (HLTF) on the Drafting of the ASEAN Charter (2007), Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on the ASEAN Charter (2006), ASEAN Committees in Third Countries and International Organizations (ACTCs), Speeches & Statements of the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Speeches & Statements of the Former Secretaries-General of ASEAN. ASEAN Way was perceived as an ASEAN culture 14 which set the norm to conduct the ASEAN regional cooperation. Most of these consultations take place in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to exchange views on issues before the UN General Assembly and other subjects of mutual interest. It is for good historical, cultural and political reasons, in the context of Southeast Asia’s diversity, that ASEAN has so far leaned toward informal understandings and voluntary arrangements rather than toward legally binding agreements. With a market of over 600 million consumers, rising purchasing power and a young demographic profile, ASEAN represents an important market for businesses. He is selected by the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and appointed by the Heads of Government on the basis of merit. WHAT IS ASEAN? This is also why the building of formal ASEAN institutions has been slow and gradual. Forming a regional organisation could fill the power vacuum left by the major powers, which used the region for proxy wars and major power rivalry. Regional cooperation and integration has played an important role in Asia by “promoting peace and stability in the region, intra-regional trade, … In this connection, taking cognizance of these trends, the ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for Consumer Protection (ASAPCP) 2025 was developed to give further detail to the strategic measures on consumer protection under the AEC Blueprint 2025, in terms of strategic goals, initiatives and outcomes. Among the security concerns being discussed at the ARF are the Korean Peninsula, the South China Sea, nuclear testing, and disarmament. 1992, the ASEAN Summit agreed to redesignate the Secretary-General of the ASEAN Secretariat into the Secretary-General of ASEAN with an enlarged mandate to initiate, advise, coordinate, and implement ASEAN activities.