ASEAN 2025: Hopefully with anti-corruption high on the agenda

With the Philippines chairing ASEAN in 2017, the momentum of the integration process continues.

Through the ASEAN Leaders’ Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ‘ASEAN 2025’: Forging Ahead Together’, ASEAN member states resolved to implement their vision of ASEAN 2025 in a timely and effective manner to push forward their desire and collective will to live in a region of lasting peace, security and stability, sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and social progress, as well as to promote ASEAN interests, ideals and aspirations.

ASEAN 2025 is a forward-looking roadmap that articulates their vision of ASEAN ten years from now – one that is ‘politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible’ and a consolidated community across three pillars – political-security, economic and socio-cultural. In sum, ASEAN 2025 reaffirms the commitment toward the continuation and consolidation of ASEAN Community-building.

The broad goals of ASEAN 2025 include putting more emphasis on the peoples of ASEAN and their well-being; the increased awareness of ASEAN; more engagement with the peoples of ASEAN Member States; commitment to fundamental freedoms, human rights and better lives; strengthened capacity to deal with challenges while maintaining ASEAN centrality; remaining an outward-looking and global player; implementing the ASEAN agenda while pursuing national aspirations and contribute to ASEAN Community-building; and strengthening ASEAN organs and the ASEAN Secretariat.

ASEAN 2025 lays out a vision of an interlinked, thriving community not only for ASEAN peoples, but for ASEAN’s partners.

For ASEAN peoples, ASEAN 2025 means that they will continue to live in a more united, secure, peaceful and cohesive region; enjoy the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, be better prepared for pandemics and natural disasters, enjoy greater prosperity, and benefit form greater job opportunities and connectivity.

Engaging with the ASEAN Community offers more economic, trade and investment opportunities. It also offers linkages with an ASEAN that has a greater role and voice in global economic for a, and contributes to global economic governance. Part of this process has to be the focus on fair trade, a level playing field in competition and clear policies against corruption.

We in the Integrity Initiative, Inc. strongly feel that the Philippines as chair of ASEAN should put ‘anti-corruption’ on the agenda of ASEAN meetings scheduled in the Philippines this year.

While the Integrity Initiative is maintaining good cooperation with Anti-Corruption groups in Indonesia and Thailand, it is obvious that more needs to be done to make anti-corruption a major endeavor for governments, the private sector and civil society.

This is especially important given the need for new infrastructure in the Region. The demand for infrastructure is huge. Although opportunities for companies (local and foreign) are many and various, transparent rules and a regulatory framework guaranteeing fair treatment and security of investment remain essential.

The Integrity Initiative is looking forward to the Philippine ASEAN Chairmanship in 2017 and trust that anti-corruption will be added to this year’s agenda.