First, is the question of establishing ASEAN as a legal entity. In this regard, an issue that needs to be addressed is whether ASEAN should have a Charter. So far, member countries do not have a statute in their respective national laws to allow for a legal entity called ASEAN. Nonetheless, there is growing recognition among members of the need to address ASEAN's legal status since representation of the association at the United Nations (UN) has been problematic. This issue is now being deliberated at the ASEAN ministerial meetings.

Second, is the issue of financial contributions for ASEAN projects. Given the expansion in ASEAN's activities across many areas, member states need to think about increasing the budget for the association. This is particularly crucial given the fact that ASEAN's dialogue partners no longer want to continue with the current arrangement of sole funding for ASEAN projects, and have called instead for cofunding to be a standard feature in future projects. In this regard, there are ongoing discussions regarding the possibility of increasing the financial contributions of more developed ASEAN economies to improve the financial standing of the association.

Third, is the need to enlarge the constituencies to build a meaningful ASEAN community. The ASEAN Secretariat is encouraging academics and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to contribute to ASEAN community building so that it is not monopolized by ASEAN bureaucrats (especially in the foreign ministries). This would include greater public articulation by academics and NGOs — through the media and other means — about ASEAN community building.