ASEAN Integration: An Economic Community in 2015?

Economic integration, embodied in the Economic Community pillar of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one of three key pillars that form the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community — in part envisioning a single economic entity by 2015. Difficulties in implementing the Political-Security and Socio-Cultural Pillars could, in some instances, be attributed to a variety of geo-political factors including differing forms of government, religion and customs, or proximity. While these factors could also be attributed to difficulties facing the implementation of the Economic Community, a new book by Stefano Inama and Edmund Sim, The Foundation of the ASEAN Economic Community, argues that the inconsistent nature of the process is a result of a lack of regulators and supranational institutions. Edmund Sim will explore what has worked for other multilateral institutions such as the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement and identify potential solutions for ASEAN. Robert Beckman will describe how researchers are working together through the National University of Singapore’s ASEAN Integration Through Law project to examine how the rule of law will help achieve a unified ASEAN Community.