SOUTHEAST Asian nations moved closer last week to approving a charter intended to improve the wealth and safety of a region that accounts for nearly 10 percent of the world’s population.

Foreign ministers join Hands in Manila on July 31. L-R: Cambodia’s Hor Namhong, Indonesia’s Nur Hassan Wirajuda, Lao’s Thongloun Phong, Malaysia’s Syed Hamid Albar, Japan’s Taro Aso, China’s Yang Jiechi, Philippines’ Alberto Romulo, South Korea Deputy Foreign Minister Park In-Sook, Myanmar’s U Nyan Win, Singapore’s George Yeo, Thailand’s Nitya Pibulsonggram, Vietnam’s Le Gong, Brunei’s Prince Mohamed Bolkiah and Secretary General Ong Keng Yong. Pic: AFP/Sam Yeh

Faced with the growth of China and India, the spread of militancy and a wish to reap the benefits of the global economy, the region’s 10 countries hammered out new agreements on the blueprint, which they plan to adopt in November.

The charter will transform the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) into a European Union-style group with legally binding rules and norms that will help pave the way for a regional free-trade zone by 2015.

The bloc had been deadlocked over creating a new human rights body but foreign ministers said they had reached a consensus to create one – even though the details were left for later.

“This is a historic decision. This is a victory for human rights,” said Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo of the Philippines, whose nation had been pushing hard for the creation of a rights organ at the heart of the ASEAN bloc.

“We believe that there must be a human rights body in the ASEAN charter,” Romulo said. “We felt that it’s a sine qua non.”

But he acknowledged that the leaders of the 10 countries still had to work out the details and, in an unexpected and unusual development, said that they had not signed the final statement of the ministerial meeting.

Romulo insisted that the statement had been agreed nevertheless. “The charter will be signed by all the members,” he said.

The draft of the charter will go to governments in preparation for adoption at the bloc’s next summit in Singapore in November – not long after ASEAN’s 40th anniversary.

Founded as a bulwark against communism at the height of the Cold War, the group now accounts for almost 600 million people including communist Laos and Vietnam.

In her opening address, Philippines President Gloria Arroyo said economic integration should be the centre of the bloc’s efforts to meet the security and economic challenges of the 21st century.

“An ASEAN community is clearly going to be anchored first and foremost on economic integration with a focus on social justice and raising the standard of living of the poor in the region,” Arroyo said.

“It is about creating a dynamic force in Asia to maximise the benefits of globalisation,” she said.

She urged member states to conclude free-trade agreements with China, Japan and South Korea, and said the rise of other regional powers should not be seen as only a threat to Southeast Asia.

“Our collective desire to bring social justice, economic opportunity and integrated security to the region is our common ground,” Arroyo said.
“The rise of China and of India as economic powers provides us with fresh competition as well as cooperation.”

The bloc has also agreed a five-year outline to renew its nuclear non-proliferation treaty aimed at keeping atomic materials out of the hands of rogue states and groups. – AFP