INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION: ASEAN

The Association of South East Asian Nations or ASEAN brought into being in

1967. In unfortunate circumstances, the international organization was created not for

the protection of human rights but for economic and social interests among its

forefathers, the Republic of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Republic

of the Philippines. Other neighboring South East Asian countries, Brunei Darussalam on

1984, Vietnam on 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 1997, and Cambodia on 1999 also joined

and become members of ASEAN.

Human security got left out at some point in its dominant state-security

approach. On stabilizing regional security, humanitarian issues like terrorism, poverty

and such inevitably emerged. ASEAN bounced back by pivoting from a sole focus on

regional state security by working its way to a people-oriented region. For the sake of

ASEAN Political-Security Community goals, mainstreaming human security have become

the venue to counter its limited humanitarian actions and the principle of non-

interference. ASEANs diversity also plays a major role on holding back its way forward

to human security.

ASEAN was plagued by human insecurities as a result from its member-countries

colonization and decolonization from colonizers. Eventually, state leaders began to

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switch their lens to improvements against the backdrop of their past. They have learned

the unacceptable risks and challenges of human insecurity in hard ways from the Asian

financial Crisis of 1997, the spreading of SARS in 2002, and similar cases where terrorism

is involved.

Human rights issues indeed became the international and domestic trend, thus

showed another perspective for ASEAN. Non-traditional securities have threatened the

regions stability. Politically challenged ASEAN have tried to redefine its security agenda

with its Political and Security Community (APSC) people-oriented vision. In 2009 it

established the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights and also

adopted the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration in 2012.

In 2007, the ASEAN Charter was adopted by the member states at their 13 th

Summit and later established a body for human rights. Therewith, stated in the

Charters Article 14 the purposes and principles of the ASEAN Charter relating to the

promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and it shall

operate(s) in accordance with the terms of reference

ASEAN countries are members of the United Nations. Therefore these nations

are also in compliance with the UNs Millennium Summit, held in the year 2000, which

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then set out the Millennium Development Goals consisting the basic human rights

including: hunger and poverty eradication, universal primary education achievement,

gender equality promotion and women empowerment, child mortality reduction

maternal health improvement, to combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases

prevention, environment sustainability, and a global partnership development.

As some member states eventually embraced democracy and civil society

organizations, human rights and security have become significant more than ever. The

ASEAN Committee on ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights

of Migrant Workers (ACMW), came up with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission

on Human Rights (AICHR) in 2009. And later on in 2010, ASEAN Commission on the

Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) surfaced in the

same boat with the Millennium Development Goals in promoting gender equality and

women empowerment.

In the Terms of Reference (ToR) in the AICHR which states that to promote and

protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of the peoples of ASEAN; to uphold

the right of the peoples of ASEAN to live in peace, dignity, and prosperity; to contribute

to the realisation of the purposes of ASEAN as set out in the ASEAN Charter in order to

promote stability and harmony in the region, friendship and cooperation among ASEAN

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Member States, as well as the well-being, livelihood, welfare and participation of ASEAN

peoples in the ASEAN Community building process (AICHR ToR).

Like almost all the other organizations, ASEAN also have its downfalls. The

ASEAN Charters contents and non-interference principle were some of the root

hindrances in upholding the visions for human security. Taking in its diverseness into

context, not all ASEAN nations have the capacity for human rights implementations and

mechanisms. Unlike Singapore, other member-states are struggling in economic terms.

Looking closely at the relationship of ASEANs success and its nations competence, with

the growing economic gap and all, it has further troubled the aims and goals on human

security.

From the realist views, international organizations are the instruments of

countries for the balance of power; it has underlying impacts on the IOs mechanisms. An

international anarchy as Waltz would say. On the other hand, neoliberals emphasized

the cooperation fueled by the member states common national interests. Countries

send their skilled negotiators to promote their nations interests that are alike with the

other nations. All the same, realists and neoliberals come to an agreement in terms of

the presence of the problems, like corruption and exploitation within the cooperation.

The international organization does not have a strong and closely adhering

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regime on human security institutions as a result of its members diverse capability

limits. The rise of democracy in the IO, in contrast, promoted human rights where

Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia as stronger impetus of the advocacy. History shows

a division took place from ASEAN countries. One group sticked up for promoting human

rights while the other half take hold of their prospects for limited authority in this

aspect.

ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) accordance with the UN Charter, the

Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Vienna Declaration and Programme for

Action caters South East Asian nations situations. One argument on the ASEANs

drawbacks to human rights is that these states prioritize whats best for its people over

hence their discomfort. The principle sovereignty is still the international organizations

cornerstone promoting human rights via consensus. This underlined the respect of

integrity of the South East Asian countries in their regional human security mechanism.

Another issue to probe over, AIHCR is not an independent body from ASEAN

which means it doesnt have the rights to internally interfere with the other countries

affairs, which is according to its ToR respect for the right of every Member State to lead

its national existence free from external interference, subversion and coercion

From a recent article in the AIHCR website, it gives the high sign on supplying

technological advancements, give rise to common approaches and sharing of good

practices on human rights with cooperation from other ASEAN Sectoral Bodies and

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other international organizations.

Challenges of the diverse level of freedoms of ASEAN members are connected to

countrys political regimes. The region has democratic countries, Philippines, Indonesia,

Malaysia, Singapore, and Myanmar (emerging), socialist and communist countries,

Vietnam and Laos, while Thailand coup detat traditions and also the monarchic

countries of Cambodia and Brunei. Despite these conditions, ASEAN have not ceased on

finding ways that will supplement the gaps diversity brings.

ASEAN may have its non-interference principle but other avenues that will

uphold human security in the same respect may serve such humanitarian issues not only

on national levels but regionally as well. The MDGs humanitarian approach has proven a

point where security starts with people and will then re echo its goals benefitting to

ASEANs other pillars, ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic

Community (AEC), and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC).

ASCC main purpose is for ASEAN to be people-centered. In congruent with the

MDG goals, 2009-2015 Blueprint gave emphasis on its goals on human development,

protection and rights etc. Going back to the ASEAN Charter, its purposes include the

enhancement of the well-being and livelihood of the peoples of ASEAN by providing

them with equitable access to opportunities for human development, social welfare and

justice. Furthermore ASEAN expressed its commitment with the Joint Declaration on the

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Attainment of the MDGs in 2011 ASEAN ROADMAP FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF THE

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS. There are still obstacles but these will also pave

way to ASEAN accomplishing the MDGs. This roadmap resulted to (unequally) alleviated

ASEAN countries poverty, hold in solutions for gender inequalities with education,

economic empowerment and secure diseases to women, and environmental protection

and conservation.

In conclusion, as ASEAN break new grounds from its state-centric approaches,

venturing to a ways that would cater the human insecurities dealt by the organization.

The olden days where only traditional threats stimulate cooperation among nations are

gone. States are now working hand in hand to counter and shut the doors for non-

traditional threats. ASEAN Charters drawbacks that have held full defense for the

citizens of its nations human security will provide alternative ways and means to

counter the humanitarian issues. Among other things, ASEAN countries are bound and

determined to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Realist and

neoliberals keep their views on how you cannot take away anarchic frame of reference,

as you understand how international organizations function. Diversity is what makes the

ASEAN way ASEAN and that there will always be advantages along with the

disadvantages that this would bring. What matters here now is what should be done in

the defying the detriments of diversity. By and large, AIHCR cannot take over for it is of

no superior control to ASEAN but it can put the heads together in humanitarian

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development schemes. In other respects, playing up to the MDGs will be made

responsible to ASEANs green lights on the political, economical and socio-cultural

context.

Word Count: A total of 1538

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Referneces:

Adiwena W. (2015, August). ASEAN Development Goals: Potentials to fill the

development gap in the region Retrieved March 29, 2017 from
https://thcasean.org/read/articles/174/ASEAN-Development-Goals-Potentials-to-fill-
the-development-gap-in-the-region

AsiaDHRRA in the ASEAN Assessment Workshop on the MDG Achievements (2015,

March 23). ASEAN, DHRRA News, Rural Poverty in SEA retrieved on March 29, 2017 from
http://asiadhrra.org/wordpress/2015/05/13/asiadhrra-in-the-asean-assessment-
workshop-on-the-mdg-achievements/

Report of the ASEAN Regional Assessment of MDG Achievement and Post-2015

Development Priorities (2015, November 6). Retrieved March 30, 2017 from
http://asean.org/?static_post=report-of-the-asean-regional-assessment-of-mdg-
achievement-and-post-2015-development-priorities

Journal of Human Security Studies Vo. 1, No.2, Summer 2012

Mona N. K. (2014). TOWARDS AN ASEAN COMMUNITY: UPHOLDING HUMAN SECURITY

FOR A PEOPLE-ORIENTED ASEAN. ASEAN Studies Center Universitas Gadjah Mada

What they are (n.d). Retrieved March 30, 2017 from

http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/goals/

Yessi, O. (2014). The Effectiveness of ASEAN Human Rights Regime. University of Riau.
ASEAN Studies Center Universitas Gadjah Mada

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