ASEAN Summit
ASEAN Summit | |
---|---|
Status | Active |
Genre | Diplomatic conference |
Frequency | Biannual |
Years active | 57 |
Inaugurated | 24 February 1967 |
Most recent | 2024 |
The ASEAN Summit is a biannual meeting held by the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in relation to economic, political, security, and socio-cultural development of Southeast Asian countries. In addition, it serves as a prominent regional (Asia) and international (worldwide) conference, with world leaders attending its related summits and meetings to discuss various problems and global issues, strengthening co-operation, and making decisions.[1][2] The summit has been praised by world leaders for its success and ability to produce results on a global level.[3]
The league of ASEAN is currently connected with other countries who aim to participate on the missions and visions of the league. The league conducts annual meetings with other countries in an organisation collectively known as the ASEAN dialogue partners. ASEAN +3 adds China, Japan, and South Korea.
The formal summits are held in three days. The usual itinerary are as follows:
- ASEAN leaders hold an internal organisation meeting.
- ASEAN leaders hold a conference together with foreign ministers of the ASEAN Regional Forum.
- Leaders of three ASEAN Dialogue Partners (also known as ASEAN +3), namely China, Japan, and South Korea, hold a meeting with the ASEAN leaders.
- And a separate meeting is set for leaders of two ASEAN Dialogue Partners (also known as ASEAN +CER), namely Australia and New Zealand.
History
The 1st ASEAN Summit was held in February 1976 in Bali, Indonesia.[4] At this summit, ASEAN expressed its readiness to "develop fruitful relations" and mutually beneficial co-operation with other countries of the region.[5] The ASEAN leaders signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. The 2nd ASEAN summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August 1977 was the occasion for the first summit meeting between Japan and ASEAN. Japan expressed its intention to promote co-operation with ASEAN.[6]
At the 9th ASEAN Summit, a meeting in October 2003 in Bali, Indonesia, the leaders of the member states signed a declaration known as the Bali Concord II in which they agreed to pursue closer economic integration by 2020.
According to the declaration, "an ASEAN Community" would be set upon three pillars, "namely political and security cooperation, economic cooperation, and socio-cultural cooperation; For the purpose of ensuring durable peace, stability and shared prosperity in the region." The plan envisaged a region with a population of 500 million and annual trade of US$720 billion. Also, a free trade area would be established in the region by 2020. ASEAN's leaders also discussed setting up a security community alongside the economic one, though without any formal military alliance.
During the same meeting, China and ASEAN also agreed to work faster toward a mutual trade agreement which would create the world's most populous market, with 1.7 billion consumers. Japan also signed an agreement pledging to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers with ASEAN members.
At the 11th ASEAN summit in December 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, several main issues were discussed:
- the spread of bird flu
- the South Thailand insurgency
- democracy in Myanmar
- crude oil prices fluctuation and poverty
- investment and trade
- ASEAN Charter
Immediately after the summit ended, the inaugural East Asia Summit was held.
The 12th ASEAN Summit was originally set to be hosted in
- Cebu Declaration Towards a Caring and Sharing Community
- Cebu Declaration on the Blueprint for the ASEAN Charter
- Cebu Declaration on the Acceleration of the Establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015
- ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers
- ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism
The 13th ASEAN Summit was held in November 2007 in Singapore. The key theme of the discussions was set to be on "Energy, Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development". In line with the theme, the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Environmental Sustainability was signed at the summit and a proposal to work on a Singapore Declaration on the Environment was issued at the Third East Asia Summit. The leaders endorsed the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint, which would help chart concrete targets for establishing a single market and production base in the ASEAN region by 2015. Other documents that were negotiated and signed include:
- ASEAN Mutual Recognition Agreement on Architectural Services
- ASEAN Framework Arrangement for the Mutual Recognition of Surveying Qualifications
- Protocol to Implement the Sixth Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services
- Agreements on trade and areas of co-operation with ASEAN Dialogue Partners
The 15th ASEAN Summit was held in October 2009 in
The 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits were held in September 2016 in Vientiane, Laos. The year 2016 also marked the start off of the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. Apart from the two main summits, other sideline summits under the umbrella of ASEAN were also held. There were nine Summits with ASEAN's Dialogue Partners under the ASEAN Plus One, ASEAN Plus Three, and East Asia Summit co-operation frameworks. Also, under the sub-regional co-operation framework, the Mekong-Japan Summit was held. This occasion also provided a platform for ASEAN Leaders to meet with Representatives of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), Representatives of ASEAN Youth, and ASEAN Business Advisory Council. The main theme discussed at the summits was regarding the further commitment for the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the three community Blueprints. ASEAN Leaders also signed the ASEAN Declaration on One ASEAN, One Response: ASEAN Responding to Disasters as One in the Region and Outside the Region.
ASEAN Summit
Under the
Chairmanship of ASEAN
ASEAN Summit Meetings
The ASEAN Summit Meetings are held by its ten member states annually. Under the ASEAN Charter, ASEAN Summit Meetings are held twice annually, to be hosted by the member state holding the ASEAN Chairmanship. Further special or ad hoc meetings may be convened whenever necessary, to be chaired by the member state holding the ASEAN Chairmanship at venues to be agreed upon by the ASEAN member states.[10]
No. | Date | Host country | Host cities | Host leader |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 23–24 February 1976 | Indonesia | Bali | Soeharto
|
2nd | 4–5 August 1977 | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Prime Minister Hussein Onn |
3rd | 14–15 December 1987 | Philippines | Manila | President Corazon Aquino |
4th | 27‒29 January 1992 | Singapore | Singapore | Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong |
5th | 14‒15 December 1995 | Thailand | Bangkok | Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa |
6th | 15‒16 December 1998 | Vietnam | Hanoi | Prime Minister Phan Văn Khải |
7th | 5‒6 November 2001 | Brunei | Bandar Seri Begawan | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
|
8th | 4‒5 November 2002 | Cambodia | Phnom Penh | Prime Minister Hun Sen |
9th | 7‒8 October 2003 | Indonesia | Bali | Megawati Soekarnoputri
|
10th | 29‒30 November 2004 | Laos | Vientiane | Bounnhang Vorachith
|
11th | 12‒14 December 2005 | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi |
12th | 11‒14 January 20071 | Philippines2 | Mandaue | President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
13th | 18‒22 November 2007 | Singapore | Singapore | Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong |
14th3 | 27 February–1 March 2009 | Thailand | Hua Hin |
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva |
10–11 April 2009 | Pattaya | |||
15th | 23−25 October 2009 | Hua Hin
| ||
16th | 8–9 April 2010 | Vietnam | Hanoi | Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng |
17th | 28–31 October 2010 | |||
18th | 7–8 May 2011 | Indonesia4 | Jakarta | President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono |
19th | 14–19 November 2011 | Bali | ||
20th | 3–4 April 2012 | Cambodia | Phnom Penh | Prime Minister Hun Sen |
21st | 17–20 November 2012 | |||
22nd | 24–25 April 2013 | Brunei | Bandar Seri Begawan | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
|
23rd | 9–10 October 2013 | |||
24th | 10–11 May 2014 | Myanmar | Naypyidaw | President Thein Sein |
25th | 12–13 November 2014[12] | |||
26th | 26‒27 April 2015 | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi | Prime Minister Najib Razak |
27th | 18–22 November 2015 | Kuala Lumpur | ||
28th | 6–8 September 2016 | Laos | Vientiane | Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith |
29th | ||||
30th | 28–29 April 2017 | Philippines | Pasay, Metro Manila | President Rodrigo Duterte |
31st | 10–14 November 2017 | |||
32nd | 27–28 April 2018 | Singapore | Singapore | Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong |
33rd | 11–15 November 2018 | |||
34th | 20–23 June 2019 | Thailand | Bangkok | Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha |
35th | 31 October–4 November 2019 | |||
36th | 26 June 2020 | Vietnam | Hanoi (as Chair's venue)5 | Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc |
37th | 11–15 November 2020 | |||
38th6 | 26–28 October 2021 | Brunei | Bandar Seri Begawan (as Chair's venue)5 | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
|
39th6 | ||||
40th6 | 10–13 November 2022 | Cambodia | Phnom Penh | Prime Minister Hun Sen |
41st6 | ||||
42nd6 | 9–11 May 2023 | Indonesia | Labuan Bajo | President Joko Widodo |
43rd6 | 5–7 September 2023 | Jakarta | ||
44th6 | 6–11 October 2024 | Laos | Vientiane | Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone |
45th6 | ||||
1 Originally scheduled from 10‒14 December 2006, but rescheduled due to Typhoon Seniang. | ||||
2 Hosted the summit because Myanmar backed out due to enormous pressure from the United States and the European Union. | ||||
3 This summit consisted of two parts. The first part was moved from 12‒17 December 2008 due to the 2008 Thai political crisis. The second part was aborted on 11 April due to protesters entering the summit venue. | ||||
4 Indonesia hosted in 2011 by swapping years with Brunei, as it played host to 2013 APEC Summit (along with the possibility of hosting the 2013 G20 summit, which ultimately fell to Russia). | ||||
5 The 36th to 39th ASEAN Summits were held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and hosted by the member states where the summits were initially scheduled to take place.[13] | ||||
6 Myanmar chose not to attend the 38th to 43rd ASEAN Summits after its military leaders were barred from attending following the |
During the fifth summit in Bangkok, the leaders decided to meet "informally" between each formal summit.
ASEAN Informal Summits | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No | Date | Country | Host | Host leader |
1st | 30 November 1996 | Indonesia | Jakarta | Soeharto
|
2nd | 14‒16 December 1997 | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad |
3rd | 27‒28 November 1999 | Philippines | Pasay | President Joseph Estrada |
4th | 22‒25 November 2000 | Singapore | Singapore | Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong |
After earthquake and tsunami in December 2004, ASEAN members held special summit in ASEAN Secreatriat, Jakarta, led by Prime Minister of Malaysia as ASEAN Charmain that year.[17] In 2020, during its year of chairmanship, Vietnam hosted a Special ASEAN summit and Special ASEAN+3 summit on COVID-19.[18]
ASEAN Special Summit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Date | Country | Location | Leader |
Special ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on Aftermath of Earthquake and Tsunami | 6 January 2005 | Indonesia | Jakarta (ASEAN Secretariat) | Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi |
Special ASEAN summit on COVID-19 | 14 April 2020 | Vietnam | Hanoi (as Chair's venue) | Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc |
ASEAN Leaders' Meeting - COVID-19 Pandemic, External Relations & Common Interest | 24 April 2021 | Indonesia | Jakarta (ASEAN Secretariat) | Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
|
Issues
14th ASEAN Summit and Protest
The 14th ASEAN summit was held from February to March 2009 in
East Timor
The new nation of East Timor, previously ruled by Indonesia, has had a long struggle with ASEAN. East Timor, during its long process towards independence, has sought to have observer status in ASEAN, much like Papua New Guinea, and eventually official member status. Historically, ASEAN countries supported Indonesia over East Timor, with the Philippines and Malaysia barring overseas NGOs from participating in East Timor conferences in the late 1990s. More recently, Myanmar opposed granting observer status to East Timor because of the latter's support for opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
In 2002, East Timor was recognised as an observer of ASEAN and joined the ASEAN Regional Forum in 2005.[22][23] In December 2005, the government of East Timor stated that the nation would be a member of ASEAN by 2011.[24]
The nation's then-President, Xanana Gusmão, had already applied for membership at the 39th Annual Ministerial Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers held in Kuala Lumpur in 2006.[25] However, the request is still pending as of July 2019.[26] The reason for the delay in membership is the protest on (increase in percent tax per import or export of online retail products) but taxes are divided half to two country doing exchange and by a ruling currency percentage ASEAN tax.
Myanmar (Burma)
Also prior to the 10th ASEAN Summit, Myanmar had taken steps to rehabilitate itself by releasing up to 9,000 prisoners who were imprisoned under the old junta. Myanmar's new leader General Soe Win attended the conference and foreign minister Nyan Win had already made pre-summit press releases on Myanmar's continuing commitment for the roadmap to democracy.
Myanmar was due to hold the chair of ASEAN in 2006. This however had attracted criticism from various factions. The United States and the European Union publicly announced that they might boycott any ASEAN-related event if Myanmar was the chair. In July 2005, during an ASEAN foreign minister meeting in Vientiane, Myanmar decided to postpone its turn. The Philippines, the country next in line, instead held the ASEAN chairmanship in 2006.
Apart from the United States, various ASEAN lawmakers have called Myanmar's membership to be stripped due to its poor human rights record.[27]
Following the
Thailand
Prior to the 10th ASEAN summit, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra publicly threatened to walk out of the meeting if any member states raised the issue of the Thai government's handling of the insurgency in south Thailand. He stated "If the topic is raised, I will fly back home".[32] This is notable since leaders have often shown solidarity with each other over high-profile issues such as East Timor and the handling by Myanmar of Aung San Suu Kyi. Furthermore, one of the principles on which ASEAN was founded is a stated principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other member states, as enshrined in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. Any tension has been kept from the public view and leaders have avoided confrontational statements in public.
Indonesia (the world's most populous Muslim country) and Malaysia, however, were particularly vehement in their condemnation over the Thai government's handling of the events in south Thailand, with a former Malaysian Prime minister going to the extent of suggesting that the Southern Thai states should be given autonomy power. The Malaysian foreign minister further was quoted as saying that there is no such thing as absolute non-interference. It is thought that Thaksin's statement was made following the Malaysian government's passing of an opposition resolution condemning the Thai government for the death of at least 85 Muslim protestors in southern Thailand.
Laotian spokesman Yong Chanthalangsy stated "I think we have a golden rule, that is non-interference in the internal affairs of each other." He added "It is a courtesy among the leaders, among the ministers, that if one of the leaders does not wish to discuss a question, all the leaders will respect it."
Free Trade Area
In 2004, Australia and New Zealand started the negotiation for a free trade deal with ASEAN. The ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area was established at the 14th ASEAN Summit in 2009.[33] It is one of Asia's largest trade arrangements and covers trade in goods, investment and services, financial services, telecommunications, electronic commerce, and intellectual property.[34] The aim of the negotiation is to significantly reduce trade barriers by 2016.[35][36]
Treaty of Amity and Cooperation
ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia is open for non-ASEAN states to accede. It requires the contracting parties to forgo any threat or use of force against each other.
The foreign ministers of ASEAN member states determined that invitation to the inaugural East Asia Summit, the first of which was held in late 2005 and hosted by Malaysia, was to be restricted to parties to the treaty. The Howard Government in Australia, although seeking invitation, was reluctant to accede to the treaty, claiming that it was out of date and might conflict with obligations and rights it had under other treaties. However, with entry to the summit confined to parties to the treaty, and with domestic pressure to sign, Australia decided in early 2005 to sign the treaty on the condition that its rights under the Charter of the United Nations are recognised as inalienable. Upon the announcement of accession, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer was asked whether or not he considered himself an east Asian, he replied: "Do I consider myself an East Asian? ... I consider myself an Australian."
References
- ISBN 981-230-347-2.
- ^ "World leaders in Manila: Key events at ASEAN". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
- ^ "World leaders praised the Philippines on how it hosted the ASEAN Summit | UNTV News". www.untvweb.com.
- ^ "Economic Achievement". ASEAN. Archived from the original on 8 May 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ "External Relations". ASEAN. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ "Relation between Japan and ASEAN". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan. December 1998. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ "ASEAN Leaders Sign Five Agreements at the 12th ASEAN Summit, Cebu, the Philippines, 13 January 2007" (Press release). ASEAN Secretariat. 13 January 2007. Archived from the original on 28 January 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2007.
12th ASEAN Summit, five.
- ^ Hội nghị thượng đỉnh ASEAN: Thái Lan huy động lực lượng an ninh lớn[dead link] (in Vietnamese)
- ^ "Beijing's South China Sea claims scrutinised at summit". Al Jazeera. 8 September 2016.
- ^ Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Archived(PDF) from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ "Chairman's Statement of the 25th ASEAN Summit". Asean.org. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ Aguilar, Krissy (25 June 2020). "Duterte, Asean leaders to tackle COVID-19 recovery in first online summit". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ "ASEAN summit begins without Myanmar after top general barred". Al Jazeera. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Southeast Asia leaders struggle with Myanmar crisis at summit". Al Jazeera. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ a b Widakuswara, Patsy (6 September 2023). "Myanmar's Seat Empty as VP Harris Speaks to ASEAN Leaders". Voice of America. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ "Special ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on Aftermath of Earthquake and Tsunami Jakarta 6 January 2005". ASEAN.
- ^ "Asean to hold virtual summits to discuss response to Covid-19". The Straits Times. 14 April 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- ^ "Outcome Documents". Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
- ^ Fuller, Thomas (12 April 2009). "Thailand Cancels Summit After Protests". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 October 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
- ^ Thai protesters force Asia summit cancellation Archived 16 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine by Bill Tarrant, Reuters (printed in the Ottawa Citizen), 11 April 2009.
- ^ East Timor Needs Five Years to Join ASEAN: PM Archived 9 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, AFP, 27 July 2006, accessed on 22 December 2008
- ^ Excerpts from the Joint Communique of the 35th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, Bandar Seri Begawan, 29-30 July 2002
- ^ Xinhua – English
- ^ "East Timor ASEAN bid". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 July 2006.
- ^ "Official Visit of Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Dr. Dionísio Da Costa Babo Soares to Malaysia 1 - 2 July 2019" (Press release). Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
- ^ "ASEAN lawmakers want Myanmar membership stripped". Kuala Lumpur: Reuters. 28 November 2004. Archived from the original on 28 November 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ "ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS (BURMA)". Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ "Myanmar's National Unity Government must be invited to this week's ASEAN Special Summit, MPs say". ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- ^ Allard, Tom (24 April 2021). "Southeast Asian leaders to press Myanmar junta to end violence, allow aid - sources". Reuters. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ "Chairman's Statement on the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting". ASEAN Summit 2021. 24 April 2021. Archived from the original on 24 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ "Thai PM warns of Asean walkout". Dawn. 26 November 2004. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
- ^ "Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
- ^ "Trade deal signed at Asean summit". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
- ^ "Aust wins invite to next year's ASEAN summit. 1 December 2004. ABC News Online". Archived from the original on 8 April 2005. Retrieved 7 December 2005.
- ^ Southeast Asia Leaders Advance Free Trade with Six Major Countries Archived 16 April 2005 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Official and special interest