ASEAN Charter to enter into force on Dec.15

MANILA, Philippines -- Two years after a high-level task force was tasked to draft the regional bloc's fundamental law, the Asean Charter will enter into force on December 15.

"15 December 2008 will be a momentous day for our community, an occasion for joyous celebration for all peoples of Asean. The entry into force of the Charter is a historic milestone for the organization, repositioning Asean to better meet the challenges of the
21st century," said Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Asean secretary general.

The Charter’s enforcement gives Asean the legal and institutional framework to function as a body with its own set of rules. It will make the region of more than half a billion people more competitive, as it can now negotiate with other countries and regional groupings as a bloc.

In an e-mail to media outfits, the Asean Secretariat said the 10 Asean foreign ministers will gather at the secretariat office in Jakarta, Indonesia on December 15 to celebrate this event and hold a special meeting to discuss the re-scheduling of the 14th Asean Summit and other relevant matters.

Thailand was scheduled to host the 14th Asean Summit this year, but the political unrest there caused its postponement to March.

"Having the celebration at the Asean Secretariat, the headquarters of Asean, adds to the symbolism of the occasion. I thank the Asean foreign ministers for agreeing to change their schedule on such short notice to grace this event," the secretary general said.

In the 11th Summit in Kuala Lumpur in 2005, Asean leaders mandated an eminent persons group to submit a blueprint for the Charter.

The following summit in Cebu, the leaders endorsed the Charter to the high-level task force mandated to draft a Charter. Last year, in Singapore, the leaders signed the Charter. This year, the 10 Asean countries ratified the Charter.

Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.