The adoption of the rules of procedure implies that the member-states of ASEAN
have established regional mechanisms that can be utilized for managing disputes
between the member-states if bilateral and/or multilateral efforts by the parties
to a dispute are not adequate or sufficient to manage and/or resolve the dispute.
Whether or not the High Council will be activated and be allowed to assume such
a role will depend on the willingness and readiness of the member-states of ASEAN
to bring disputed issues to such a regional body. The rules of procedure ensure that
the Council cannot be used against a member-state. The latter was most probably
a necessary condition in order to secure the adoption the rules and it is likely to be
a key factor in enabling a future activation of the Council itself. Only when it will be established will it be possible to assess how effectively and how often the High
Council will be used by the ASEAN member-states in dealing with inter-state disputes
affecting them.