International Organisations

ASEAN could become 4th largest economy in the world (Asia One, 6 September 2016) The ASEAN economy is expected to grow at 7 per cent per annum, with GDP reaching US$4.7 trillion (S$1.9 trillion) in 2020 and the possibility of becoming the fourth largest economy in the world by 2030, the Lao Prime Minister Thongloun…

Japan, China vie for ASEAN influence (Nikkei Asian Review, 8 September 2016) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tacitly warned Southeast Asian leaders against making too many concessions to China, engaging in a diplomatic tug of war with Beijing ahead of the East Asia Summit. “I expect ASEAN to play a leading role in creating stability and…

ASEAN could become 4th largest economy in the world (Asia One, 6 September 2016) The ASEAN economy is expected to grow at 7 per cent per annum, with GDP reaching US$4.7 trillion (S$1.9 trillion)  in 2020 and the possibility of becoming the fourth largest economy in the world by 2030, the Lao Prime Minister Thongloun…

ASEAN must work more closely to tackle new terror trends: PM Lee (Today, 7 September 2016) While South-east Asia has been dealing with terrorism for some years, the emergence of three new trends means there is a greater need for the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) to work more closely to tackle the issue,…

State of play: The race for the next UN Secretary-General (New Europe, 12 September 2016) The next United Nations Secretary-General is to be decided this October, but recent straw poll results show that the decision for the position is still very much up in the air. Currently there are ten nominated candidates, including Srgjian Kerim (Macedonia), Danilo Türk (Slovenia),…

UN sanctions: what they are, how they work, and who uses them (UN News, 4 May 2016) The UNSC discussed counter-terrorism and non-proliferation at its early May session. At least seven sanctions committees will brief the main United Nations body responsible for maintaining international peace and security. A quick snapshot covering the basics of UN…

Underestimating the economic power of ASEAN would be a mistake (The Nation, 30 March 2016) To underestimate the region, however, would be a mistake. The GDP of its ten members now totals more than $2.5 trillion – about 25 per cent more than India’s. If ASEAN were one economy, and current growth trends continue, it could be…

US Upgrades Economic Ties With ASEAN Amid China’s Growing Influence (The Diplomat, 30 March 2016) ASEAN has become the strategic focus in the U.S. “rebalance to Asia” strategy. China enjoys comparative advantages in historic, geographic, and geo-economic terms, and has been ASEAN’s largest trading partner for six consecutive years since the bilateral free trade agreement…

UN warns of dark side of greater ASEAN integration (Straits Times, 26 February 2016) Increasing trade ties in South-east Asia are a boon not only for business but also for crime, though local officials have not quite figured out how to control the latter. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in a…

ASEAN must step up to promote rule of law in region, experts say (Today, 15 January 2016) With major world powers stepping up their engagement with Southeast Asia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will have to take on a bigger role to create a robust rules-based regional order. “The Barack Obama administration has…

Formal establishment of ASEAN Community sees both opportunities, challenges (Xinhua, 31 December 2015) As another significant milestone in its history and the regional integration process, Dec. 31 finally witnesses the formal establishment of theASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Community. Despite the euphoria and excitement, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said in a statement on…