Database
on Basic Documents of Japan-ASEAN Relations
Department of
Advanced Social and International Studies,
ASEAN Security Community Plan of Action
Introduction
Leaders at the Ninth ASEAN Summit in
These three pillars shall be developed and implemented in a parallel and
balanced manner.
Recognising the strong
interconnections among political, economic and social realities, the ASEAN
Security Community acknowledges the principle of comprehensive security, and
commits to address the broad political, economic,
social and cultural aspects of building an ASEAN Community. It is also
acknowledged that political and social stability, economic prosperity, narrowed
development gap, poverty alleviation and reduction of social disparity would
constitute strong foundation for a sustained ASC given its subscription to the
principle of comprehensive security.
The realisation of an ASEAN Security Community
would ensure that countries in the region live at peace with one another and
with the world at large in a just, democratic and harmonious environment. The
ASC would be based on shared norms and rules of good conduct in inter-state
relations; effective conflict prevention and resolution mechanisms; and
post-conflict peace building activities.
The ASC promotes an ASEAN-wide political and security cooperation in
consonance with the ASEAN Vision 2020 rather than a defence
pact, military alliance or a joint foreign policy. The ASC Plan of Action is
mutually-reinforcing with bilateral cooperation between ASEAN Member Countries
while recognising the sovereign rights of the Member
Countries to pursue their individual foreign policies and defence
arrangements. In addressing future security challenges, ASEAN Member Countries
share the responsibility for strengthening peace, stability and security of the
region free from foreign military interference in any form or manifestation.
The ASC shall contribute to the further promotion of peace and security
in the wider Asia Pacific region. In this regard, the ASC is open and outward
looking, engaging ASEAN’s friends and
Dialogue Partners to promote peace and stability in the region. The ASC will
reflect ASEAN’s determination to move forward the stages of ASEAN
Regional Forum (ARF) at a pace comfortable to all. In this regard, the ASC will
strengthen ASEAN’s role as the driving force in the ARF.
Since its inception in 1967, ASEAN has developed confidence and maturity
to address issues of common concern as one ASEAN family. The ASC process shall
therefore be progressive. This process shall be guided by well-established
principles of non-interference, consensus based
decision-making, national and regional resilience, respect for the national
sovereignty, the renunciation of the threat or the use of force, and peaceful
settlement of differences and disputes which have served as the foundation of
ASEAN cooperation. ASEAN shall strengthen existing initiatives, launch new ones
and set appropriate implementation frameworks.
The ASC upholds the existing ASEAN political instruments such as the
Declaration on ZOPFAN, the TAC and the SEANWFZ Treaty, which shall play a
pivotal role in the area of confidence building measures, preventive diplomacy
and the approaches to conflict resolution. It shall abide by the UN Charter and
other principles of international law.
ASEAN shall explore innovative ways to implement the Plan of Action which
comprises six components, but not limited to, as follows: political
development, shaping and sharing of norms, conflict prevention, conflict
resolution, post-conflict peace building, and
implementing mechanisms. A list of areas of activities, which is non-exhaustive,
is provided to ensure a coordinated process of cooperation towards an ASEAN
Security Community.
I. Political Development
One of the main objectives of the ASEAN Security Community as envisaged
in the Bali Concord II is to bring ASEAN’s political and security cooperation to a higher plane.
In working towards this objective, ASEAN Member Countries shall promote
political development in support of ASEAN Leaders’ shared vision and common values to achieve peace, stability, democracy
and prosperity in the region. This is the highest political commitment that
would serve as the basis for ASEAN political cooperation. In order to better
respond to the new dynamics within the respective ASEAN Member Countries, ASEAN
shall nurture such common socio-political values and principles. In this
context, ASEAN Member Countries shall not condone unconstitutional and
undemocratic changes of government or the use of their territory for any
actions undermining peace, security and stability of other ASEAN Member
Countries.
A conducive political environment will ensure
continued peace, security and stability in the region, in which member
countries shall rely exclusively on peaceful processes in settling
intra-regional differences and disputes and consider their individual security
as fundamentally linked together and bound by geographic location, common
vision and objectives.
II. Shaping and Sharing of Norms
Shaping and sharing of norms aim at achieving a standard of common
adherence to norms of good conduct among members of the ASEAN Community;
consolidating and strengthening ASEAN’s solidarity,
cohesiveness and harmony (the “we feeling”); and contributing to the building of a democratic, tolerant,
participatory and transparent community in Southeast Asia.
These norms setting activities shall adhere to the following fundamental
principles:
1.
Non-alignment;
2.
Fostering of peace-oriented attitudes of ASEAN Member Countries;
3.
Conflict resolution through non-violent means;
4.
Renunciation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction
and avoidance of arms race in
5.
Renunciation of the threat or the use of force.
ASEAN Member Countries shall therefore engage in such activities as
strengthening the ASEAN Declaration of 1967, the ZOPFAN, the TAC and the
SEANWFZ regimes, developing regional legal frameworks, and establishing a Code
of Conduct in the
III. Conflict Prevention
Based on the principles contained in the TAC, which is the key code of
conduct governing relations between states and diplomatic instrument for the
promotion of peace, security and stability in the region, the objectives of
conflict prevention shall be:
1.
To strengthen confidence and trust within the Community;
2.
To mitigate tensions and prevent disputes from arising between or among
member countries as well as between member countries and non-ASEAN countries;
and
3.
To prevent the escalation of existing disputes.
ASEAN Member Countries shall enhance security cooperation by
strengthening confidence building measures; carrying out preventive diplomacy;
resolving outstanding regional issues; as well as enhancing cooperation on
non-traditional security issues.
IV. Conflict Resolution
It is essential that any disputes and conflicts involving ASEAN Member
Countries be resolved in a peaceful way and in the spirit of promoting peace,
security and stability in the region. While continuing to use national,
bilateral and international mechanisms, ASEAN Member Countries shall endeavour to use the existing regional dispute settlement
mechanisms and processes in the political and security areas and work towards
innovative modalities including arrangements to maintain regional peace and
security so as to better serve theirs as well as collective interests of all
members for peace and security.
V.
Post-conflict peace building seeks to create the conditions necessary for
a sustainable peace in conflict-torn areas and to prevent the resurgence of
conflict. It is a process involving broad-based inter-agency cooperation and
coordination across a wide range of issues. ASEAN activities related to post-conflict
peace building shall include the establishment of appropriate mechanisms and mobilisation of resources. As an ASEAN family, members
should assist each other in post-conflict peace building efforts, such as
humanitarian relief assistance, reconstruction and rehabilitation.
VI. Implementing Mechanisms
To ensure the effective implementation of this Plan of Action, the
following measures will be undertaken:
1.
The AMM shall take necessary follow-up measures to implement this Plan
of Action including consultation and coordination with other relevant ASEAN
ministerial bodies; to set up ad-hoc groups as appropriate; and to report annually the progress of implementation
to the ASEAN Summit; as well as to introduce new measures and activities to
strengthen the ASEAN Security Community as appropriate;
2.
The AMM shall undertake overall review of progress of this Plan of
Action. The AMM shall inscribe permanently an agenda item entitled “Implementation of the ASC Plan of Action” in the agenda of its meetings; and
3.
The Secretary-General of ASEAN shall assist the ASEAN Chair in
monitoring and reviewing the progress of implementation of this Plan of Action.
VII. Areas
of Activities
To realise the ASEAN Security Community by
2020, ASEAN shall endeavour to work towards the
implementation of the areas of activities in the following Annex. It is
acknowledged that some of these activities are already ongoing and at various
stages of implementation. Additional activities could also be implemented in
the future. ASEAN will make every effort to promptly carry out activities which
gain consensus support.