The 15th ASEAN summit concluded on 25 October 2009, with its historic Cha Am-Hua Hin Declaration rolling out the roadmap for an ASEAN Community by year 2015. The Summit focused on Economic integration, Climate change and Disaster management among others, and reposed faith on the ASEAN Charter and resolved to accelerate efforts to build an ASEAN Community.

Thailand’s Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, ASEAN’s current president reinforced his colleagues’ desire to build on the ASEAN framework. Abhisit said, “We continue to practice open regionalism and we know that with the evolving circumstances and environment of our time, our cooperation and arrangement must evolve and we have good responses from our dialogue partners and I am confident that in doing so, we will preserve ASEAN centrality and make vital contributions, not just to our own region, but to the Asia-Pacific region and to the whole world”.

The leaders of ASEAN member countries signed Cha Am-Hua Hin Declaration on Roadmap for an ASEAN Community in 2015 with Integration Plans for each pillar of Community and ASEAN Integration Initiative Strategy Framework and the Second Initiative for ASEAN Integration Work Plan 2009-2015 as annexure.

With the theme ‘Enhancing Connectivity, Empowering Peoples’, the Summit, in the words of Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, “made a beginning to rules-based functioning and effectively enforced what has been agreed upon among Member States.” He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Summit.

The Summit reviewed measures to deal with the global economic and financial crisis that is stalking the region. It agreed to boost cooperation; coordinate macro-economic policies and expand economic stimulus through budgetary tools, ease monetary credit, and facilitate enterprises to access credit especially the small and medium enterprises.

The leaders of member countries highlighted the need to continue worldwide trade liberalization, and end protectionism and non-tariff barriers to hasten the Doha round of negotiations. It also agreed to realize Chiang Mai Initiative of Multilateral Mechanism with a fund of US$120 billion and called upon developed countries to cooperate closely with developing countries to restore the operations of the financial markets and quickly work out measures to reform the global financial system and pay more attention to the role and voice of developing countries.

Outcome

The ASEAN Summit reiterated the determination to strengthen the connectedness within the bloc on all sectors, towards an ASEAN Community in 2015, based on pillars as ASEAN Political and Security, Economic and Socio-Cultural Communities. The member countries agreed to boost the efforts to narrow the development gap within ASEAN by contributing adequately to the community.

On the sidelines of the Summit, high-ranking leaders of ASEAN member countries met and networked with representatives of ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Assembly, ASEAN Business Council, ASEAN Youth etc. Leaders of ASEAN member countries appreciated recommendations to strengthen discussions; more coordination with representatives in ASEAN policy-making and actively contributing to ASEAN in the time to come for an ASEAN Community based on ASEAN Charter goals and rules.

Outlining the vision for an ASEAN Community 2015, Abhisit stressed the importance of ‘connectivity’ as a main contributor to sustainable growth and prosperity of a vibrant East Asia at large. “This ASEAN Connectivity is only the first step. It needs to be linked with a larger East Asian connectivity where ASEAN will be connected to the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, bringing progress and prosperity to all,” said the Thai Prime Minister. In his opening speech, Abhisit also said he was pleased with the inauguration of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. “This important body, together with the establishment of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children next year, will generate a momentum in promoting and protecting human rights in the region,” he said.

Inauguration

Creating suspense, four ASEAN leaders missed the opening ceremony for one reason or another. They were Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Their absence forced the cancellation of a traditional group photo session at the opening ceremony. The four countries were represented by senior officials at the ceremony.

The Summit appreciated efforts to realize the ASEAN Charter, especially the establishment and realizing some new mechanisms of ASEAN such as ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives in Jakarta; ASEAN Ministerial-level Councils; and conforming ASEAN working schedule to Charter rules.

The Summit also witnessed the signing of many other ASEAN documents and approved tools such as ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement; ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement; ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement; the Joint Declaration on the Attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in ASEAN; the Statement on Food Security in the Region; and Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area.

Trade Study

A separate study for a wider economic partnership covering India, Australia and New Zealand would be carried out soon. “We’re going to do this two-pronged, meaning in parallel,” Vitavas Srivihok, Director General for ASEAN Affairs at the Thai foreign ministry said.

“Right now we (ASEAN) have bilateral free trade agreements with all six countries completely. Now we should explore a feasibility study both in the East Asia Free Trade Area and with India, Australia and New Zealand,” he explained.

ASEAN will follow up on China’s US$25 billion initiative to promote infrastructure development in Southeast Asia, Japan’s programme on the use of efficient energy and a US$100 million South Korean project to help the region respond to climate change.

Human Rights Panel

Perhaps the most significant thing about the Summit was that it unveiled the region’s first human rights commission. Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Thai prime minister, described it as a “significant milestone in the 42-year history of ASEAN. The group has traditionally steered clear of rights issues because of its reluctance to meddle in the internal affairs of member nations”. Its member Myanmar is under global scanner for the detention of its popular political woman leader and its rule by the military regime.

Members of ASEAN are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.