Defined loosely, the ASEAN Way is a product of years of socializing between the
member states of ASEA . It is based on cooperation and consensus where
informality, courtesy, and politeness are the order of the day. Since ASEAN's
inception in 1967, the ASEAN Way norms and principles have been used by its
members as a guide to behaviour and modes of interaction. They have been
observed at all levels, ranging from the meetings of the heads of government
down to ministerial and official meetings. The ASEAN Way derived not only
from the experience of dealing with challenges that the association faced in its
early years, but has also evolved its own distinctive security culture and
operational principles in managing more contemporary issues.