For those who have watched ASEAN grow from the five founding members in 1967 through Brunei’s entry on 7 January 1984, Vietnam on 28 July 1995, Laos and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, the progress this group of varied countries has made at integrating countries with different stages of economic development, political systems, ethnicity and cultural backgrounds is indeed an achievement worthy of praise.
This presentation will trace ASEAN’s path towards creating the ASEAN Economic Community. How far has the regional grouping been successful in creating a seamless trading and investment environment? It will question whether ASEAN’s past achievements are enough to sustain its attractiveness and competitiveness.
Key to the creation of the AEC is ASEAN’s process of sequential, consensus decision-making approach: the “ASEAN Way.” The presentation will question whether the “ASEAN Way,” a formula that has taken the region to where it is today, can continue to see it through in a fast changing global trading environment.