UNU-CRIS Policy Brief No. 2: ASEAN Turns 45
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has fully come of age. A series of events has been held around the world to mark this milestone. Reflections and debates have been organized that unveil some of the strides as well as continuing constraints on the regionalism efforts in the region. Once regarded a strictly economic project, the regional integration initiative in the region has now mushroomed to even include human rights aspects following the creation of a human rights body.
To mark ASEAN at 45, UNU-CRIS’ second Policy Brief focuses on the integration process in the region. It is divided into two main sections, each providing a key background, main challenges and deriving policy recommendations.
The first section takes stock of ASEAN´s economic integration efforts and suggests how to further advance the organization’s aspirations towards a successful Economic Community. The second part draws attention to ASEAN´s security dimension by analyzing its role in addressing three major challenges in the region: terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the South China Sea dispute.
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