ASEAN’s thirtieth year was marked by challenges on several fronts. ASEAN enlargement, the unprecedented scale of the burning in Kalimantan and the haze it sparked off and the regional economic crisis were the dominant concerns of the year. However, the practices and habits of consultation and cooperation ingrained by a generation of ASEAN involvement enabled member countries to rise to these challenges. Indeed, a greater degree of cohesion, particularly in the finance and environment areas resulted from the increased frequency of meetings and joint activities held to discuss and implement remedial programmes and actions.
In dealing with these difficulties, ASEAN countries were able to draw on the firm foundations laid by the founding fathers, nimble existing institutions and structures and the astute helmsmanship of leaders tempered by previous difficulties. ASEAN was also fortunate in that it was able to count on the support and expertise of dialogue partners and regional and international bodies with which it enjoyed friendly relations.
ASEAN enlargement
The admission of Laos and Myanmar into the Association at the 30th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Kuala Lumpur in July 1997 moved ASEAN one significant step closer to the realisation of the dream of the ASEAN founding fathers for an ASEAN comprising all ten Southeast Asian states. While efforts to bring Laos and Myanmar into the mainstream of ASEAN cooperation continued, with a number of missions and briefing sessions, the Association also stayed engaged with Cambodia to with a view to the Observer joining ASEAN as soon as possible.
Noting Cambodia’s urgent need for international electoral assistance, ASEAN has requested the United Nations and the international community to extend electoral assistance to Cambodia. ASEAN member countries fielded some 75 observers during the elections on 26 July 1998.
Regional financial crisis
By the time the ASEAN Finance Ministers met in Jakarta in February 1998, the steps taken since the advent of the financial crisis in July 1997 appeared to have begun to pay off. While recovery is still some way off, the economies and financial sectors of the region appeared to have stabilised somewhat by early 1998.
The steps taken included attempts to reduce the dependence of the region on the US dollar and to promote the use of regional currencies, increase transparency and encourage greater disclosure. ASEAN Committees in Third Countries disseminated information on developments pertaining to measures ASEAN had taken in response to the crisis in order to stem the ebb in foreign investor confidence in the region.
Strong overtures were made towards the private sector to draw them into being active partners in the search for solutions. Among these efforts was a private sector roundtable held in the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta which drew participants from the region’s banking and finance sectors.
ASEAN called on the G7 countries to grant the region greater market access and to encourage their banks to maintain credit support for the ASEAN economies. ASEAN also remained steadfast in its commitment to the maintenance of an open trade and investment environment, pushing on with initiatives such as the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA).
A major concern arising from the financial crisis is the potential it has to eradicate the progress made in social and human development over the last thirty years, especially when the spectre of rising unemployment loomed large as some members face zero or negative growth in the coming year. Those in the lower strata of the socio-economic scale are a particularly vulnerable group with women and young school-leavers likely to be the hardest hit. A comprehensive study on the social impact of the crisis that will soon be undertaken, should provide more information on and greater insights into how the expected difficulties can be ameliorated.
The Inaugural Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication in Kuala Lumpur in October 1997 provided a timely forum for the discussion of ways to deal with the human and social fall-out of the economic crisis. The ASEAN Labour Ministers tasked the ASEAN Secretariat to look into developing a regional programme on responses to the crisis with cooperation from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The pace of on-going efforts to develop the informal sector in the region has also picked up.
Transboundary haze
The Regional Haze Action Plan has been adopted to prevent the recurrence of haze resulting from the forest fires in Kalimantan which blanketed the region sporadically in late 1997 and early 1998. The haze did not merely have an adverse impact on the health and well-being of the region’s people, but also took its toll on the economies. At its worst, it caused poor visibility, forcing the closure of several airports and the cancellation of flights. Tourism, agriculture and construction were among the other areas affected.
The plan provides for concerted regional action for dealing with a problem which transcends national boundaries. A project management unit set up at the ASEAN Secretariat with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) serves as a base for experts hired to deal with various aspects of the plan. As a result of the monthly meetings among the ministers and senior officials, the region’s capacity for preventing and containing forest fires has been boosted tremendously. These efforts have been shored up further by the assistance of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and various concerned countries and international bodies.
ASEAN Vision 2020
Issued by the Second Informal Summit in Kuala Lumpur in December last year, ASEAN Vision 2020 consists of a number of vision statements to guide the activities in the various areas of cooperation.
ASEAN heads envisaged "a concert of Southeast Asian Nations, outward looking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in partnership in dynamic development and in a community of caring societies."
They also pledged ASEAN’s determination and commitment to make Vision 2020 a reality through a series of plans of action. The first of these, which will translate the Vision into an action agenda known as the Hanoi Plan of Action, will be adopted by ASEAN Leaders during the 6th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi in December 1998.
ASEAN Secretariat
The Indonesian Foreign Minister, Mr. Ali Alatas, presided over the ceremony to mark the change of steward at the ASEAN Secretariat in January 1998. In accordance with the decision of the 30th AMM, the first elected Secretary-General of ASEAN Tan Sri Dato’ Ajit Singh of Malaysia was succeeded by Mr Rodolfo C. Severino, Jr. of the Philippines. Tan Sri Dato’ Ajit’s term which began in January 1993 ended in December 1997.
Selebrating 30 years of ASEAN
Commemorating ASEAN’s 30th anniversary
Acting on the decision of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers at the 29th AMM in Jakarta in July 1996, the 30th ASEAN Standing Committee (ASC) declared a year-long period of celebration starting with ASEAN Day 1997 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Association. Among these activities was the Essay, Photo and Poster Competitions which attracted hundreds of entries from across ASEAN. Other activities included the issuance of commemoratine stamps and coins, various exhibitions and events.
