Page 27 - The Ethics of ASEAN

The Founding Ethical Enterprise

2. The value of development constitutes the second pillar of ASEAN. The ASEAN
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Economic Community (AEC) was described in the ASEAN Charter of 2007/8
and was launched in 2015. The AEC is characterised as a single market and
production base, a highly competitive economic region, a region of equitable
economic development, and a region that is fully integrated with the global
economy.
3. To preserve ASEAN’s remarkable diversity of cultures and social communities,
as well as ensuring human development, ASEAN’s third pillar is called the ASEAN
Socio- Cultural Community (ASCC) . Ethics declared in the ASCC are adherence
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to agreed principles, spirit of cooperation, collective responsibility, promotion
of human and social development, respect for fundamental freedoms, gender
equality, the promotion and protection of human rights and the promotion of
social justice.
In 2015, the “Kuala Lumpur Declaration” provided a statement, in a rather long sentence,
of an ethics of ASEAN as a community that is people-centred, rules-based, socially
responsible and human development oriented. 10

WE HEREBY AGREE TO: Continue establishing a people-oriented,
people-centred and rules-based ASEAN Community where all
people, stakeholders and sectors of society can contribute to and
enjoy the benefits from a more integrated and connected Community
encompassing enhanced cooperation in the political-security,
economic and socio-cultural pillars for sustainable, equitable and
inclusive development.

Ethics of ASEAN three pillars

ASEAN Political-Security Community ASEAN Economic Community ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
Sovereignty (merdeka) Economic development Human rights
Peace & non-alignment World class competivity ASEAN identity
Collaboration (Gotong Royong) Innovation & entrepreneurship Human development
Non-interference Work mobility Diversity & Inclusion
Sustainability

Figure 3: Ethical concepts related to the three ASEAN pillars

In the Figure 3, I list some of the key ethical concepts that apply to the three pillars. This is
not an official ASEAN representation, but based on words found in ASEAN declarations.

8 A description of the AEC can be found on the ASEAN website https://asean.org/our-communities/economic-
community/ downloaded 30 January 2022
9 A description of the ASCC can be found on the ASEAN website https://asean.org/our-communities/asean-
socio-cultural-community/ downloaded 30 January 2022
10 KUALA LUMPUR DECLARATION ON A PEOPLE-ORIENTED, PEOPLE-CENTRED ASEAN 27 April 2015. https://
asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/26th-KUALA-LUMPUR-DECLARATION-ON-A-PEOPLE-ORIENTED-
PEOPLE-CENTRED-ASEAN-Final.pdf downloaded from the ASEAN Secretariat website 11 November 2021

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