INTRODUCTION

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), despite its origin as a loose and modest inter-governmental regional organisation aimed at preventing inter-state conflicts through economic and socio-cultural cooperation among its members, has now evolved into an association of sovereign states with a more ambitious agenda of regional integration. Indeed, when ASEAN took a formal decision to transform itself into an ASEAN Community in October 2003, member states declared, “an ASEAN Community shall be established comprising of three pillars, namely political and security cooperation, economic cooperation, and socio-cultural cooperation.”

In 2005, ASEAN leaders agreed on the need for ASEAN to have a charter that would “facilitate community building towards an ASEAN Community and beyond.” Indeed, as it promises to transform ASEAN into a more rules-based organisation rather than a loosely organised association, the ASEAN Charter serves as an important step towards, and a confirmation of ASEAN's commitment to, the realisation of the ASEAN Community.

Since its establishment in August 1967, criticisms of ASEAN have been primarily directed at deficiencies in the organisational structures and the slow pace of institu-tionalisation of the Association.

This paper argues that while ASEAN had in the past undertaken measures to strengthen and expand its institutions, and ASEAN's recent commitment to undertake greater institutionalisation efforts have been manifested in the adoption of the ASEAN Charter, the willingness of member states to rely on regional institutions is still circumscribed by member states’ attachment to the principle of sovereignty and overriding preference for maintaining unity amid regional diversity (as reflected in persistent inter-state problems and diverging interests).

THE EVOLUTION OF ASEAN's INSTITUTIONALISATION: THE PRIMACY OF “ASEAN WAY” AND THE IMPETUS FOR CHANGE

The First Three Decades (1967–1997)

When it was established in August 1967, ASEAN did not set for itself an ambitious task of becoming a regional organisation equipped with complex institutional structures and machinery in order to function effectively and immediately.

Indeed, the necessity to foster regional reconciliation constituted one key reason behind the formation of ASEAN.

Regional reconciliation through regional cooperation required a set of agreed principles, norms and rules that would guide the conduct of foreign relations among participating countries.