KUALA LUMPUR — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations turned 40 this summer. Is it facing a mid-life crisis? Or is it on the verge of maturing into a more cohesive, more relevant organization capable of promoting peace and stability not only in Southeast Asia but beyond, given its self-proclaimed "driver's seat" role in East Asia community-building?
Only time will tell, but there are encouraging signs that ASEAN may be coming of age, such as the creation of an ASEAN charter to manage "the key challenges of regional integration, globalization, economic growth and new technologies."
A formal charter would add a "legal personality" and a greater degree of cohesiveness and clarity to earlier efforts to build an ASEAN Community.