The relevance of the regional mechanisms for conflict management as developed and formulated through collaboration within ASEAN would be considerably enhanced if the member-states of ASEAN would more actively seek to utilise them when managing and settling disputes. The fact that the High Council has yet to be activated and that no dispute has been brought to it indicates that regional mechanisms for dispute settlement are – after more than 40 years – not yet the preferred option when the member-states fail to reach a bilateral agreement in a dispute situation. To make regional mechanisms the preferred option would be a major boost to ASEAN efforts aiming to strengthen dispute settlement in the region and a key step towards establishing an ASC and also in establishing the ASEAN Community.