ASEAN 203

Course Title: The ASEAN Organization

Prerequisites: None

Number of Units: 3

Course Description: The ASEAN as an organic entity established by the individual and collective will of the member organizations. History, organizational, structural, and functional changes and developments, influence of intra-ASEAN and extra-ASEAN factors and dynamics to the developments and organizational evolution.

Course Objectives:

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:
1. Explain the nature and characteristics of the ASEAN Organization; and
2. Analyze both quantitative and qualitative changes and developments and their implications
(a). in the ASEAN member countries, (b). in the regional and, (c). in the international community from the perspective of the ASEAN as an organic entity.

Course Outline:

UNIT I: THE PRECURSORS TO ASEAN; THE BIRTH OF ASEAN

Module 1: PRE-ASEAN ATTEMPTS AT REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Lesson 1: A comprehensive survey of the history, impetus and imperatives, and external influences on pre-ASEAN regional organizations.
Lesson 2: Geopolitical and economic backdrop of early attempts at regional cooperation
Lesson 3: Pre-ASEAN regional bodies and organizations: Success Stories or Failures?

Module 2
Lesson 1: The Birth of ASEAN : Imperatives and  Dynamics among Individual original Five Founding Members,
Lesson 2: Early Political, Economic and Socio-cultural Challenges that ASEAN Faced in its Early Stages
Lesson 3: The Bangkok Declaration: Theme, Objectives, Mechanisms and Principles of Regional Cooperation

UNIT II:  MILESTONES IN ASEAN’s  ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT & GROWTH

Module 3
Lesson 1: Milestones in ASEAN’s Structural, Functional, and Dynamic Expansion.
Lesson 2: Expansion in the Membership of ASEAN, Significance, Challenges and Implications. The Application of Timor leste as a member-state of ASEAN

Module 4
Lesson 1:  The  ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and its  three Community  Blueprints: Elements, Objectives and Mechanisms
Lesson 2 : AFTA and RCEP : Challenges, Opportunities and Implications

UNIT III: ASEAN’s Organizational Structure, Mechanisms  and Affiliated Bodies; Modalities and Processes

Module 5
Lesson 1: The ASEAN Secretariat and the Role of the Secretary General
Lesson 2: The Jakarta Channel ( ASEAN Bodies Based in Jakarta)
Lesson 3: Foreign Ministers and other Sectoral Ministerial -Level and Cross-Pillar Coordination Bodies
Lesson 4: The ASEAN Summits

Module 6
Lesson 1: Format, Processes and Modalities of ASEAN
Lesson 2: The Legal Documents of ASEAN
– The ASEAN Charter
– The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation
– Other Treaties and Agreements

Module 7
Lesson 1: Bodies Affiliated with ASEAN: Objectives, Accomplishments and Criticism
– The ASEAN Foundation
– AICHR
– ASEAN-IPR
– ASEAN Centers in Member-States Capitals
– ASEAN Centers in External Partners’ Capitals
– Entities Accredited by ASEAN

Lesson 2: Involvement of Civil Society in promoting ASEAN’s objectives

UNIT IV:    ASEAN’s External Relations ; ASEAN in the Regional Security Architecture

Module 8
Lesson 1: ASEAN’s Dialogue, Sectoral Dialogue and Development Partnerships: Issues, Achievements, Challenges
Lesson 2: Indo-Pacific Strategies and Concepts:  The ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific

Module 9
Lesson 1: The ASEAN Organization in the Regional and Global Security Architecture: Contemporary Issues, Challenges and Prospects
Lesson 2: ASEAN and the South China Sea Issue
Lesson 3 : ASEAN Centrality as a Counter-force to External pressure

Module 10
Lesson 1:  Post ASEAN Vision 2025: Recommendations to the High Level Task Force to Chart the Future of ASEAN