The Meaning of ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Learn about its Objectives and Forms of Cooperation

Kapanlagi.com - In various parts of the world, countries form alliances to establish cooperation. Usually, the alliance of various countries or nations is based on location. Like the countries in Southeast Asia which then formed ASEAN. As a union of countries in Southeast Asia, ASEAN has 10 member countries in the region. In general, the meaning of ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

ASEAN, or in Indonesian, can be called the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a forum for countries in Southeast Asia to establish cooperation. Not only in terms of economic, political, and business cooperation, but ASEAN also strives to achieve peace. Therefore, the meaning of ASEAN is very important for countries in the Southeast Asian region.

There are many things that need to be known and understood about the meaning of ASEAN, ranging from its history, members, to forms of cooperation. To find out all of that, just read the following review.

1. The Meaning of ASEAN

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As previously explained, ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations. ASEAN is a geopolitical and economic organization that covers countries in Southeast Asia. The formation of ASEAN brought many missions to advance Southeast Asia, ranging from economic growth, social progress, politics, to culture.

The meaning of ASEAN is a union for countries in Southeast Asia. As befitting its location, ASEAN members consist of countries in the Southeast Asian region. Although working together in one organization, ASEAN still upholds respect for national sovereignty and avoids confrontation.

2. Brief History and Membership of ASEAN

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ASEAN was established on August 8, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand. The initial formation of ASEAN was initiated by 5 Southeast Asian countries represented by foreign ministers. The ministers were as follows:

1. Adam Malik from Indonesia

2. Narciso Ramos from the Philippines

3. Thanat Khoman from Thailand

4. Tun Abdul Razak from Malaysia

5. S. Rajaratnam from Singapore.

After its formation was initiated by representatives of five countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines, several Southeast Asian countries such as Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia later joined in different joining periods. In addition, East Timor is still trying to apply to join ASEAN.

Here is an explanation of the sequence of Southeast Asian countries' participation in ASEAN.

1. Indonesia (August 8, 1967)

2. Malaysia (August 8, 1967)

3. Singapore (August 8, 1967)

4. Thailand (August 8, 1967)

5. Philippines (August 8, 1967)

6. Brunei Darussalam (January 8, 1984)

7. Vietnam (July 28, 1995)

8. Laos (July 23, 1997)

9. Myanmar (July 23, 1997)

10. Cambodia (April 30, 1999)

3. Objectives of ASEAN

In brief, the explanation of the meaning of ASEAN above has mentioned that this alliance was formed with several objectives. These objectives are related to various aspects, ranging from economics, social progress, politics, to culture.

Since its establishment in 1967, the basic objectives of ASEAN have been established. Until now, in carrying out cooperation activities, ASEAN still adheres to these basic objectives. Therefore, in addition to the importance of the meaning of ASEAN, it is also important to know several points of ASEAN's objectives known as the Bangkok Declaration.

- Accelerating economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the Southeast Asian region.

- Enhancing regional peace and stability.

- Enhancing cooperation and mutual assistance for common interests in the fields of economics, social, engineering, science, and administration.

- Maintaining close cooperation amidst existing regional and international organizations.

- Enhancing cooperation to advance education, training, and research in the Southeast Asian region.

4. Forms of ASEAN Cooperation

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Based on the explanation of the meaning of ASEAN, we can see that this geopolitical organization has noble goals. ASEAN aims to advance the Southeast Asian region through several forms of cooperation. Here are some forms of cooperation that ASEAN has implemented.

1. ASEAN Cooperation in the Economic Field

- Implementation of industrial projects.

- Implementation of a free trade area.

- Opening of ASEAN promotion centers.

- Establishment of ASEAN operations.

2. Social and Cultural Field

- Social development that emphasizes the welfare of low-income groups by providing fair wages.

- Efforts to expand employment opportunities.

- Signing of joint agreements in the ASEAN tourism sector.

- Development of human resources (HR).

- Exchange of culture and art, including the ASEAN film festival.

- Hosting the biennial sports festival through the SEA Games.

3. Political and Security Field

- Mutual legal assistance treaty in criminal matters.

- ASEAN Convention on Counter-Terrorism.

- Meeting of Defense Ministers to promote peace and stability in the region, through dialogue and cooperation in defense and security.

- Efforts to resolve the South China Sea dispute.

- Cooperation in combating transnational crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, smuggling, human trafficking, piracy, and so on.

- Peaceful, free, and neutral regional agreements.

4. Education Field

- The ASEAN Council of Teachers Convention (ACT) as a cooperation of teachers' organizations from Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea.

- Offering educational scholarships.

- Provision of educational Olympiads often held at the Southeast Asian regional level to enhance student competitiveness.

Those are some explanations of the meaning of ASEAN, its goals, and forms of cooperation. Hopefully, this is useful and can increase your knowledge!

(kpl/gen/psp)