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About the project

 

ASEAN and the United States

In addition to the ASEAN Regional Forum, of which the United States, is an active member, ASEAN relations with the US have existed since 1977. According to an official "Overview of ASEAN-US Dialogue," the majority of relations have focused on economic development and trade (ASEAN is the fourth largest trading partner of the US). Recently, however, there has been a shift towards security issues, and one of the newer initiatives is the ASEAN Co-Operation Plan.

US-ASEAN Co-Operation Work Plan

The ASEAN Cooperation Plan (ACP) is a US-funded program that supports US-ASEAN activities to promote mutual interests in several areas, such as trade and countering trans-national crime. The then-Secretary of State to the United States, Colin Powell, announced the plan in August 2002. The program, which has so far initiated over 20 projects, has reinforced the broader U.S.-ASEAN relationship by bringing together different government agencies, state governments, non-government organizations, and academics, and private sector entities.

There are several work plans and projects that concern civil liberties' issues and policy laundering. These are:

  • Declaration for Cooperation to combat International Terrorism between ASEAN and the USA (August 2002). This document formally outlined a plan between ASEAN nations and the United States to intensify the fight against terrorism. Measures include:
    • Continuing and improving intelligence and terrorist-financing information sharing on counter terrorism measures;
    • Enhancing liaison relationships amongst their law enforcement agencies to engender practical counter terrorism regimes;
    • Providing assistance on transportation, border and immigration control challenges including document and identity fraud;
    • Compliance with UN Resolutions and Declarations on international terrorism.
  • Technical Assistance Program. A statement released by the US State Department announced a new initiative under the ACP to provide training and technical assistance to promote regional economic integration. "The State Department said the 18-month program will support the ASEAN Secretariat as well as ASEAN efforts to address transnational issues such as maritime security and counterterrorism."
  • US-ASEAN Enhanced Partnership to Focus on Mutual Interests. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick met with ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in July 2005 to discuss a U.S.-ASEAN Enhanced Partnership focusing on economic, political and security issues.
  • Counter-terrorism was one of the topics discussed with a view to assistance for activities under the 2003 U.S.-ASEAN Counter-terrorism Work Plan that "may include supporting ASEAN efforts to develop an ambitious plan to combat trans-national crime, a seminar on managing a rewards program to facilitate terrorist investigations and prosecutions; and a seminar on enhancing maritime domain awareness to help secure Southeast Asia's vital sea lanes."

The ASEAN Secretariat webpage provides a list of the joint press releases or communiqués released after each of the eighteen US-ASEAN Dialogue Meetings between 1977 and 2005.

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