ASEAN Political-Security Community Outlook 2019 released

JAKARTA, 8 January 2020 – The ASEAN Secretariat released the second issue of the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Outlook for 2019. With the theme ASEAN and Beyond, this issue of the APSC Outlook features three essays: Partnering Beyond Southeast Asia: The Case of ASEAN Regionalism; Towards Non-Proliferation and Disarmament: ASEAN’s Modest Contributions; and Promoting Peace and Reconciliation: The ASEAN Approach.

The essays highlight that ASEAN has made modest contributions in promoting peace and security beyond the four corners of the Southeast Asian region, with partnerships not only among the members of ASEAN but also with countries and organizations outside of Southeast Asia such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Union.

In its quest of contributing to global peace and stability, ASEAN has evolved its own unique approach and brand of regionalism, whether in regard to dealing with strategic issues, such as nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, or promoting reconciliation, which as pointed out in one of the essays is ASEAN’s raison d’être.

ASEAN continues to be faced with emerging issues brought about by the fast changing nature of the strategic landscape, physical environment and digital domain. By continuously adapting and evolving, ASEAN hopes to move forward in a cohesive and responsive manner through the increasingly challenging world of the third decade of the 21^st century.