First, ASEAN elevated its political and economic cooperation to a higher level at the Singapore Summit of 1992. After that it would be virtually inevitable that ASEAN would, as a logical next step, do the same for its Functional Cooperation.
For all three, Political Cooperation, Economic Cooperation and Functional Cooperation, constitute a trilogy. As Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dato' Ajit Singh, once expounded in his report to the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, "The elevation of Functional Cooperation to a higher plane fortifies the dynamic interactions between the three facets of ASEAN cooperation. Put simply, political cooperation brings about peace and stability which makes possible economic development and cooperation which, in turn, brings about progress and prosperity. Functional cooperation provides the means for sharing that prosperity. And shared prosperity brings about conditions conducive to peace." Thus completing the logical cycle of areas of ASEAN cooperation.
It was at the Fifth ASEAN Summi in Bangkok in December 1995 that the ASEAN Leaders declared that "ASEAN shall elevate functional cooperation to a higher plane to bring shared prosperity to all its members". The ASEAN Leaders also agreed to "take concrete steps to further strengthen the ASEAN identity, spirit and sense of community through wider participation of ASEAN citizens..."
As a result of that Bangkok Summit Declaration of 1995, the Association intensified its cooperation in science and technology, culture and information, environment, social development and drugs and narcotics control.
Even more important is the role given to Functional Cooperation as more than just a way of promoting ASEAN unity and solidarity. It has become a way of integrating ASEAN's political and economic goals with its social, cultural, scientific-technological and environmental objectives.
ASEAN has adopted a theme which serves as the framework for elevating functional cooperation to a high plane: Shared prosperity through human development, technological competitiveness and social cohesiveness. It is envisioned that the vigorous implementation of ASEAN Functional Cooperation within the framework of this theme will lead to the growth of a caring, cohesive and technologically competitive ASEAN community that can effectively address the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
Although the term "Functional Cooperation" would only be coined when ASEAN was already about two decades old, the idea of it was already enshrined in the ASEAN Declaration of 1967 in Bangkok as cooperation "to accelerate… social progress and cultural development," as collaboration in the "social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields," and as mutual assistance in training and research "in the educational, professional, technical and administrative spheres..." The Bangkok Declaration also encouraged the promotion of Southeast Asian studies.
There are speculations among observers that references to cooperation "in the social, cultural and other fields" that were so much emphasized in the early documents of ASEAN were but a "veil" for the Founding Fathers' desire for political cooperation which could not be given direct expression at that time. The fact remains, however, that in all the subsequent ASEAN Summits and in most of the Ministerial Meetings even during those early years, ASEAN commitment to cooperation in these specific fields would be reiterated and progressively elaborated on. Today it is clear that Functional Cooperation has a life of its own not only in the documents of ASEAN meetings but also in ASEAN practice. And over the years the international community increasingly recognized the worth and efficacy of ASEAN Functional Cooperation. In 1979, when ASEAN was just beginning to work in earnest in the economic field, it was accorded the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Regional Cooperation in recognition of its contribution and success in instilling a spirit of cooperation, friendship and goodwill among the Member Countries as well as between ASEAN and other countries in the region.
It was at the First ASEAN Summit in Bali in 1976 that the ASEAN Leaders, in their Declaration of ASEAN Concord, cited the following as among the objectives of ASEAN cooperation: the development of an awareness of regional identity and a sense of ASEAN community; the elimination of poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy; and the extension of assistance to Members in distress. Attached to the Declaration of ASEAN Concord was a Program of Action that stressed, among other things, support for the involvement of women and the youth in development efforts; cooperation in the prevention and eradication of drugs and narcotics abuse and trafficking; the launching and promotion of Southeast Asian studies; and support for ASEAN scholars, writers, artists and media professionals who would help foster regional identity and solidarity. In the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) which was also a major outcome of the Bali Summit, the signatories committed themselves to providing "assistance to one another in the form of training and research facilities in the social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields."
At the Second Summit in Kuala Lumpur, the Heads of Government of ASEAN reiterated the mandate for Functional Cooperation as embodied in the ASEAN Declaration as well as the importance of expanding cooperation in all the fields cited in the ASEAN Concord. Notable in that Summit was the reiteration of the need to cooperate in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking. Identified as a new priority area for cooperation was human resources development (HRD).
The term "Functional Cooperation" finally appeared for the first time in a major ASEAN document during the Third Summit in Manila in 1987. In the Manila Declaration, the ASEAN Leaders stressed that ASEAN Functional Cooperation "shall promote increased awareness of ASEAN, wider involvement and cooperation among the peoples of ASEAN and the development of its human resources."
Indeed, ASEAN's greatest source of strength and hope is the quality of its human resources. Half of ASEAN's population is 20 years old and below. Labor supply grows at an average of 3.0 percent per year with female participation rate of 52 percent at the beginning of the 1990s. Over the years, significant gains in life expectancy have been registered in all ASEAN countries. In a time span of three decades, an average person in ASEAN gained about 15 years in life expectancy from 50 years during the 1965-1970 period to 65 years during the 1990-1995 period.
As a result of socio-economic development and increasing availability of modern medical technology, a remarkable decline in mortality rate has also taken place. The crude death rate went down from an average of 16 per thousand infants during the second half of the 1960s to 8 per thousand during the first half of the 1990s. Moreover, the persons-per-doctor ratio improved by 56 percent from a regional average of 10,000:1 in 1970 to less than 4,500:1 in 1990.
To promote people-to-people contact, in particular among professionals, academicians, scientists and scholars in the region, the ASEAN University Network (AUN) was established in 1995 composed of the leading universities and colleges in ASEAN. The AUN aims to enhance awareness of ASEAN through expansion of ASEAN studies in the school curricula and the introduction of ASEAN student exchange programs, among others.
In the course of its endeavors to implement an eminently wide spectrum of Functional Cooperation activities, ASEAN organized five committees that, together with the Functional Cooperation Bureau of the ASEAN Secretariat, have come to constitute the mainstay in this aspect of ASEAN's work.
The ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology (COST) coordinates cooperative efforts in science and technology which aim to achieve the following objectives: a high level of intra-ASEAN cooperation in science and technology that is synergistic and self-sustaining and having the active participation of the private sector; a network of science and technology infrastructures and programs for public and private sector human resources development; an active and economically-beneficial institution-industry technology transfer; an enhanced state of public awareness of the importance of science and technology to ASEAN's economic development; and an expanded science and technology cooperation with the international community. COST has adopted the Medium-Term Program for ASEAN Science and Technology Development.
The ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN) initiates and promotes ASEAN cooperation on regional environmental matters. A Working Group carries out cooperative programs and projects of ASOEN in each of the following six areas: Seas and Marine Environment; Environmental Economics; Nature Conservation; Environmental Management; Transboundary Pollution; and Environmental Information, Public Awareness and Education. ASOEN is currently implementing the ASEAN Strategic Plan of Action on the Environment to ensure the protection of the ASEAN environment and the sustainability of its natural resources. An ASEAN Cooperation Plan on Transboundary Pollution is also being implemented.
The ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information (COCI) coordinates ASEAN cooperation in a wide range of activities in the field of culture and information in pursuit of the following objectives: to enhance mutual understanding and solidarity among the ASEAN Member Countries while promoting regional development; to accelerate cultural development in the region through joint endeavors in order to strengthen the foundation of a peaceful and prosperous ASEAN community; to promote better understanding and appreciation of the ASEAN cultures, the similarities and diversities and the traditional as well as present ties among the peoples of ASEAN; to promote a flow of information conducive to the growth of awareness of a regional identity among the ASEAN peoples; and to promote a positive international image of ASEAN. COCI is carrying out the ASEAN Plan of Action on Culture and Information.
The ASEAN Committee on Social Development (COSD) formulates and recommends policies, programs and strategies for regional cooperation in social development. Works in the six areas of cooperation covered by the COSD are divided among the following subsidiary bodies: Sub-committee on Education (ASCOE), Sub-committee on Health and Nutrition (ASCH&N), Sub-committee on Youth (ASY), Sub-committee on Women (SW), Sub-committee on Labor Affairs (ASCLA), Experts Group on Disaster Management (AEGDM) and the ASEAN Task Force on AIDS (ATFOA). ASEAN Cooperation on Children, Population and Social Welfare also comes under the purview of the COSD. The ASEAN Plan of Action on Social Development provides a coordinated framework for the work of the different sub-committees.
The ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD) coordinates cooperative endeavors in four major areas: Preventive Education and Information; Law Enforcement; Treatment and Rehabilitation; and Research. ASOD efforts are complemented by those of four training centers based in Member Countries: the ASEAN Training Center on Narcotics Law Enforcement in Bangkok; the ASEAN Training Center for Preventive Drug Education in Manila; the ASEAN Training Center for Treatment and Rehabilitation in Kuala Lumpur; and the ASEAN Training Center for the Detection of Drugs in Body Fluids in Singapore. ASEAN has adopted a Plan of Action on Drug Abuse Control.
In addition to the activities of these bodies, ASEAN has established an ASEAN Foundation which aims to promote ASEAN awareness, greater interaction among the peoples of ASEAN, and their wider participation in ASEAN's activities. An ASEAN Award has also been launched to give recognition to individuals and organizations for their outstanding work and contributions towards the achievement of the objectives of ASEAN functional cooperation.
With the forces of globalization and economic interdependence on the rise, there is even greater need now for functional cooperation. ASEAN Member Countries will have to make considerable adjustments and improvements in their production technology in the face of competition and common international standards that will be brought in by a more globalized economy. Advanced technology will have to be brought in from outside and/or developed within ASEAN. Social safeguards will become urgently necessary to alleviate the plight of workers displaced in the course of the modernization of the industrial sector. At the same time, increased ASEAN trade and ever higher volumes of production in the industrial sector will take a heavy toll on ASEAN's natural resources requiring improved environmental management. Rising incomes and more porous national borders are likely to be attended by new social problems, including and especially the spread of AIDS, the abuse of drugs and their illegal traffic. All these concerns will have to be more vigorously addressed in a concerted and sustained manner under ASEAN Functional Cooperation.
