A BIG FAMILY: Leaders pose at the Third East Asia Summit in Singapore on November 21, 2007. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations leads the pack in East Asian cooperation

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Charter came into force at the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, on December 15, 2008, a milestone achievement that brought the ASEAN integration process within a legal framework.

"The charter can be the basis for speeding up and strengthening our regional integration," said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a statement. "By virtue of its provisions, we can enhance the process by which we are transforming ASEAN from a loose association to an ASEAN Community resting on the pillars of politico-security cooperation, economic cooperation and socio-cultural cooperation. It also provides for ASEAN's elevation to a rules-based and people-centered organization with a legal personality." Indonesian media hailed the charter's entry into force as a major step toward turning ASEAN into a European Union (EU)-style economic bloc.

Far-reaching implications

Principles set out in the ASEAN Charter include: maintaining and enhancing peace and security in the region; creating a single market and production base; strengthening democracy, good governance, the rule of law and human rights; responding effectively to all forms of threats, transnational crimes and transboundary challengers; alleviating poverty and narrowing the development gap within ASEAN; promoting sustainable development and protecting the environment, natural resources and cultural heritage; developing human resources and enhancing the well-being of the people in ASEAN; and promoting an ASEAN identity.

The ASEAN Charter's entry into force has four major implications:

--It defines the direction of development for Southeast Asia. Southeast Asian nations must join forces to strengthen themselves to become masters of the region. They empower themselves by speeding up modernization while preserving their traditional features. At the same time, they give scope to their collective strength through ASEAN. This two-pronged approach is a correct choice made by Southeast Asian countries after World War II. Since the 1990s, ASEAN has stepped up its integration process. It first worked for the establishment of a free trade area among ASEAN countries at an early date and then set the goal of establishing an ASEAN Community by 2015. The ASEAN Charter serves as a general guide for ASEAN integration.