Association+of+Southeast+Asian+Nations

=History = 

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN for short, was signed into existence on August 8, 1967 by the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Phillipines, Singapore, and Thailand. The signing took place in the main hall of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok, Thailand. The Association was created to promote cooperation throughout southeast Asia in various fields and to adhere to the guidelines set forth by the United Nations.

=Member States=


 * Brunei
 * Cambodia
 * Indonesia
 * Laos
 * Malaysia
 * Myanmar
 * Phillipines
 * Singapore
 * Thailand
 * Vietnam

Indonesia and Thailand hold most of the power within ASEAN.

=Purpose=

The aim of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is to promote cooperation in all matters social, economic, cultural, technological, and educational. It is also meant to keep peace throughout the region by sticking to the laws and rules of the United Nations.

=Structure=

One of the main bodies in ASEAN is the Coordinating Council. All of the Associations foreign ministers meet at least twice a year to hold the council. There are three Community Councils (Political-Security, Economic, and Socio-Cultural) that represent the three pillars of ASEAN. There are also many Sectoral Ministerial Bodies that dictate the actions of ASEAN on a smaller scale. Another body of ASEAN is the Committee of Permanent Representatives, which contains a representative from each state.

=Advantages and Disadvantages=

All states within ASEAN have the benefit of the cooperation of the surrounding states in many matters. ASEAN has been criticized for its poor enforcement of human rights policies, and as a result the states in ASEAN are often ignored because of other states' violations of human rights.

=Effects on Local Diversity=

ASEAN does its best to facilitate local diversity. The Association maintains that local diversity is necessary for proper functioning of economic and cultural aspects of the states within southeast Asia.

More on ASEAN can be found at: []

Sources:

[] [|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Southeast_Asian_Nations#Criticism]