Looking beyond 2015, RI wants a common platform for ASEAN

The Jakarta Post | Thu, 05/05/2011

Jakarta will host the 18th ASEAN summit from May 7-8, where the leaders of the association’s 10 nations will discuss regional and global issues. The Jakarta Post’s Abdul Khalik and Sita Winiawati Dewi talked to Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa on Wednesday about the summit. Below are excerpts.

Question: Indonesia has set a three-pronged agenda for its ASEAN chairmanship this year: speeding the group’s integration, developing a regional architecture and expanding ASEAN’s global role. How do you assess progress to date?

Answer: Indonesia has made significant progress in moving toward achieving the goal of the ASEAN Community by 2015. We have made progress on the economic pillar, the political pillar and the socio-cultural pillar, building on what was done last year under Vietnam’s chairmanship and [laying groundwork for] next year when we hand things over to Cambodia. We have to make sure that there is good development and good progress on all three pillars.

The second priority is ASEAN and the wider region. It’s essentially how we can ensure that the wider Asia Pacific region remains peaceful and remains stable. It’s precisely the kind of conditions that ASEAN countries have enjoyed over several decades — a peace dividend — enabling them to have economic development.

What we are trying to ensure this year is that we continue to enjoy that peaceful atmosphere because there is a real risk if we become complacent.

We wish to avoid a cold war-type of mentality of divisions, competitions and new fault lines. One of the main instruments in achieving that objective is the East Asia Summit, which will include for the first time Russia and the United States in Bali later this year.

This is Indonesia’s initiative. This time last year we were talking about regional architecture. Now that architecture is defined. It is already complete in the sense that we have taken the initiative of including Russia and the US. Now the next question is what’s next.

How are we going to give meaning to the principle of ASEAN’s centrality or place ASEAN in the driver’s seat? You cannot be in the driver’s seat and you cannot be in the center if you don’t have a vision. You have to do something with that role, otherwise it becomes obsolete. We have to come forward now that we have this architecture and now that everyone says ASEAN is in the driver’s seat.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will propose that the East Asia Summit become a key forum for discussing strategic issues for our region, and for political, economic and other big picture issues.

How about ASEAN’s global role?

The third priority is the place of the ASEAN community in the global community of nations, in keeping with the theme of our summit.

This is again a classic case of Indonesia setting in motion a new vision. Back in 2003 when ASEAN was only an association and not yet a community we began the process of ASEAN community building to be achieved by 2020. But we moved it forward to 2015.

I remember then the same question was asked: why were we floating [the idea]. How could Indonesia initiate something when in fact Indonesia was still having a lot of internal difficulties at that time? Why are you being a busybody? Why are you bringing the issue of democracy to the ASEAN forum?

We said we were anticipating not of the world of 2003 — but the world of 2020 or 2015. We were projecting ahead. Likewise, now in 2011, as we approach 2015, we have to begin to think beyond 2015.

What are we going to do after we achieve this so-called ASEAN community? What’s next? What is the next challenge? Otherwise we will simply level off. There will be stagnation.

That’s why Indonesia believes we must set a new target, namely how can the ASEAN community be cohesive and have a greater global role, [which] means promoting a more cohesive ASEAN view on global issues.

This is what we are going to set in motion at this summit so that by 2022 we will have that ASEAN, not quite an ASEAN common forum policy, but certainly an ASEAN that speaks in a more cohesive role on global issues. If you look at it, we have the entire spectrum covered.

But all these three elements will become utterly useless and totally without foundation if we do not have a foundation — a people-centered ASEAN.

There is no point of people talking about an ASEAN community or the ASEAN community and the Asia Pacific region and ASEAN and the world if the people of ASEAN themselves do not feel a sense of ownership or participation in ASEAN.

Those three elements must be anchored to a people-centered ASEAN.

How do we develop concrete steps to realize a people-centered ASEAN?

We have to avoid being superficial. What does it mean when we discuss ASEAN’s people focus? Do we need festivals? Mass gatherings? That’s nice, but this must be with more structured, more meaningful.

Let’s ask how ASEAN interjects itself into daily activities and how relevant ASEAN is in our daily activities. If you use that as the scorecard, then I think we see a great potential to do things better.

The big picture is that ASEAN has managed to maintain peace in our region. That is the biggest people-centric dividend you can imagine. Without this, nothing else is possible. Do not underestimate that fact.

In the area of trade and investment, the free trade area in ASEAN will make possible greater prosperity [and] promotion for small and medium enterprises. Those are real dividends for the people that ASEAN makes possible.

This particular summit will become instrumental because other than offering meetings between leaders there are will be an exchange between the leaders and representatives of civil society and representatives of ASEAN youth as well as the ASEAN parliament.

Are we expecting a launch of drafting process on ASEAN’s common platform on global issues during the summit?

We will be launching the process of drafting declaration on ASEAN community in the global community of nations. But the actual adoption of such a possible declaration will be at the 19th summit in Bali in November. The vision thing is more important at the moment... that’s what Indonesia is saying to ASEAN. Hopefully we will obtain support from ASEAN member states.