1. ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC)
The role of Thai government in political-security cooperation with ASEAN has established since 1967 towards regional peace and stability based on three characteristic:
1) A rules-based community of shared values and norms;
2) A cohesive, peaceful, stable and resilient region with shared responsibility for comprehensive security;
3) A dynamic and outward-looking region in an increasingly integrated and interdependent world.
Consequently, the Thai governments have supports several issues in political-security cooperation, such Thailand has also played an important role in the promotion and protection of human rights in the region, as testified by the establishment of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) under our chairmanship in 2009. Thailand has also actively participated and supported the involvement of relevant stakeholders in the region in the drafting process of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration,
2. ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)
Thailand sees regional economic integration as a means to ensuring sustainable and equitable growth in the region, enhancing competitiveness of ASEAN Member States, and contributing to our integration into the global economy.
To realize the AEC, the AEC Blueprint set goals for ASEAN to become:
1) A single market and production base;
2) A highly competitive economic region;
3) A region of equitable economic development;
4) A region fully integrated into the global economy.
Thailand will integrate with the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) to increase economic growth, foreign direct investment, and flows of information, labor, and capitals. For example, Thailand had important roles in ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) established in 1992, ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit, and Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI). The ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) was set up in 1992, followed by the entry into force of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS), the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA) in 1995, 2010 and 2012 respectively.
3. ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)
The ASCC seeks to establish an inclusive, people-centered community where the well-being, livelihood and welfare of the people are enhanced. In particular, the ASCC emphasizes close cooperation in the following areas: human development, social welfare and protection, social justice and rights, environmental sustainability, building the ASEAN identity, and narrowing the development gap.
For this cooperation, Thailand is a strong proponent of a people‐centered ASEAN Community as envisioned by the ASEAN Charter. Under our chairmanship, Thailand has initiated the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting with representatives of ASEAN Inter‐Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), civil society organizations (CSOs) and youth to increase their interaction with ASEAN and promote their involvement in the community‐building process Thailand will also continue to work closely with our ASEAN colleagues to further enhance regional cooperation in various socio‐cultural areas, such as disaster management, education, narrowing development gap, environment, public health, as well as building an ASEAN identity, in order to achieve a caring and sharing society in ASEAN.
For instance, Thailand joined ASEAN University Network (AUN) and established the ASEAN Foundation to be a center of human resource development. In case of information center, Thailand became a supporting founder of Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL) and ASEAN Subregional Environment Programme.
ASEAN is a diverse region in terms of geographical locations, political systems, level of economic development, and historical and cultural backgrounds. ASEAN Member States should work to translate the diversity into advantages and opportunities. To achieve this, Thailand believes that it is of essential importance to maintain unity and cohesiveness in ASEAN, and look beyond our national interests for long‐term regional interests. ASEAN also needs to manage its relations with major powers in a balanced, constructive and transparent manner to build trust and confidence. This is why Thailand always sees the emerging ASEAN Community as another important milestone in an evolving process towards closer regional integration because Thailand believes that a strong cooperation in ASEAN is the vital interests of countries both within and outside Southeast Asia.
Source: The Department of ASEAN Affairs · Ministry of Foreign Affairs