Why do we need ASEAN?
“Our People, Our Future Together.” This is the theme chosen by Brunei Darussalam for its chairmanship of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year and for the ASEAN Summit on April 24-25, 2013, which President Benigno Aquino is scheduled to attend. The future of individual nations in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, truly and greatly depends upon their ability to work together for the common good.
Why is this so? Some of the fundamental reasons are as follows:
Regional identity
First, nations need peaceful neighborhood to grow economically, socially, culturally, and politically. Just look at countries at war with their neighbors and it would be obvious how armed conflicts, arms race, insecurities, and social disorder pull countries back from progress.
As in most human relations, there will always be tensions, conflicts and differences among nations. What is important is to develop predisposition to peaceful means of settling disputes. We are fortunate that no one among the ten members of Asean has hegemonic ambition, including Indonesia, our biggest member with a land area and population approximately the same as the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam combined.
Second, communities have the power to shape and represent collective identities and interests, help nations find common solutions to problems, prescribe expectations for behavior, and even define common security threats. Positive interactions and friendship could direct our strengths and resources to community building rather than permanent power struggle.
We need to turn around the undersocialization of Southeast Asian states among themselves as a result of centuries of colonization and separation by competing foreign powers. Understanding that we are one people must make inroads into our collective regional consciousness.
Economic community
Third, globalization requires certain economies of scale to be attractive or competitive in terms of production, trade, and investment. ASEAN needs to continue working towards becoming an effective single market and production base.
Individually we might be small, but together we have a combined output of $2.6 trillion and about the same amount of total trade. We are a major economic community as a group, which could be relied upon by our partners as a major consumer and producer.
At the same time, working together does not mean excluding others. Three-fourths of our total trade involves countries beyond our region. The biggest economies in the world are our trading partners, namely the United States, European Union, Japan and China. Despite challenges, distractions, and even provocations, it is in our interest to keep our relations with them peacefully and productively.
Global economic interdependence shares not only benefits, but also risks. ASEAN economic ministers know these, such as the current contraction of external demand caused by debt crisis, fiscal problems in some developed economies, tighter global financing conditions, higher oil prices, and volatile global capital flows.
Our economic security depends on how deep we can integrate our individual economies and achieve greater macroeconomic and policy coordination for the purpose of maintaining economic stability. The ASEAN Economic Community blueprint commits all members to achieving a considerable degree of integration by 2015.
In a recent speech, former ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan estimates that, if efforts continue towards this direction, the share of intra-ASEAN trade vis-à-vis its trade with the rest of the world could increase to 35 percent by 2020. We would then be more self-reliant.
Fourth, cross border issues require regional cooperation. These include, for example, migration, human trafficking, illegal drug trade, maritime piracy, environmental pollution, communicable diseases, and of course international terrorism. In this interconnected world, countries need to manage their common problems in terms of prevention, surveillance, response, and control.
We should also jointly commit to promote and protect our environment as our common heritage. The Coral Triangle preservation initiative involving the three ASEAN countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines (plus Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Solomon Islands) is an excellent example of international cooperation to protect this nursery of the sea where 76 percent of world’s coral species live and where 120 million people are sustained by its marine resources.
People-centered ASEAN
As a function of our different sizes, capabilities, and competing industries, regional economic integration could be associated with dislocation and difficulties particularly among micro, small and medium enterprises. It is important that these legitimate concerns are mitigated by creating enabling environment for them to overcome, adapt or change.
The people of Southeast Asia will support regional integration efforts when they see the benefits to them. We must, therefore, build a region where there is equitable economic development. More open economies should create more opportunities that would narrow the current development gap among nations and peoples.
We should learn how to share or jointly develop resources, particularly those involved in disputed territorial claims. This is an important element in the current efforts to forge a legally binding code of conduct in the West Philippine Sea.
Creation of more opportunities for work, travel, business and studies would be important vehicles for greater people-to-people interactions and understanding. These are definitely more sustainable endeavors than junket travels.
Regional humanitarian assistance in times of extreme emergencies and large-scale natural disasters is an excellent field where ASEAN cooperation could have a human face. First responders should wear an ASEAN badge.
Common values
Finally, regional integration should also be values based. In fact, communities based on a set of common values are more lasting. They do not necessarily depend on reciprocity. They are more predictable and reliable. Members feel greater sense of belonging and identity when they share core values. Rule of law, democracy, and respect for human rights and private property should be among them.
I have learned that American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen would usually end his concerts with an admonition that "Nobody wins unless everybody wins.”
Thus, while it is important to remind Southeast Asians that their destiny is interweaving, we must do everything possible to make sure that that future is bright and that everyone benefits from it.