ASEAN Matters!

Book excerpt: The initiative to establish the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Community was adopted by the ten leaders at the 2003 Bali Summit in Indonesia. Since then, the concept of a community-building process in ASEAN has become an issue that attracts a great deal of attention from scholars and experts around the world. ASEAN Matters! Reflecting on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations carries essays with different perspectives on critical issues relating to the three pillars in building the ASEAN Community, namely the ASEAN Political and Security Community; the ASEAN Economic Community; and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. In a nutshell, this book provides broad and invaluable insights into the role ASEAN plays in enhancing peace, prosperity, and stability in the Southeast Asian region. Written in a highly accessible style, the contents include both a thorough review of current issues and a succinct overview of the past and future direction of ASEAN. The book reiterates the continued and strengthening relevance of ASEAN, 43 years after its founding. Unlike most other books on ASEAN, a majority of the essays are written by former professional staff at the ASEAN Secretariat, as well as from current office holders. This gives the volume a high degree of authenticity and unique insights. More interestingly, it also includes viewpoints from experts, scholars, diplomats and officials who either have extensive research knowledge or had been involved in ASEAN''s external and economic relations with the dialogue partners, such as China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the European Union (EU), among others.