R18 A2: An ASEAN-EU future

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the counterpart of the
European Union (EU) in the Southeast Asian region, consisting of 10 member
states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. ASEAN has since its formation continued to
pursue the increased integration of Southeast Asian nations, establishing
amongst other things the ASEAN Vision 2020 in 1997 and ASEAN Charter in 2008 to
pursue the realisation of a single ASEAN community and free-trade area; as well
as establishing the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR)
in 2009, and adopting the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration in 2012. ASEAN is
expected to be the world’s fourth largest economy by 2030.

ASEAN-EU ties date back to 1972, where the then European Economic Community was
the first international entity to establish informal ties with ASEAN, followed
by formal ties as a Dialogue Partnership in 1977 which was institutionalised by
the ASEAN-EEC Cooperation Agreement of 1980. Since then, ASEAN-EU ties have
continued to blossom, with the EU in 2012 being the first regional organisation
to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and in 2015
establishing a diplomatic mission to ASEAN. As a result of the 23^rd ASEAN-EU
Ministerial meeting in 2020, the EU and ASEAN have since improved their Dialogue
Partnership into a Strategic Partnership.

The influence of the EU on ASEAN is undeniable, with the EU being the third
largest trading partner of ASEAN (and ASEAN as well being the third largest
extra-EU trading partner), the third largest provider of Foreign Direct
Investment in ASEAN, the largest collaborator in development cooperation and
lobbying of the EU amongst other states leading to ASEAN for the first time in
its history declining to invite a political leader of a member state to its
October 2021 summit.

With 2022 marking the 45^th anniversary of the partnership of the two unions, it
is now more relevant than ever to further blossom the relations between the two
unions in order to strive for a truly inclusive and sustainable Strategic
Partnership with each other and for an inclusive and sustainable global
community.

The Federation of Young European Greens calls on the European Union:

1. To further expand its economic cooperation with ASEAN, including:
   1. The acceleration of the conclusion of the current negotiations for
      bilateral trade agreements with individual ASEAN member states, and
      eventually the establishment of a region-to-region (EU-ASEAN) free
      trade agreement,
   2. The further facilitation and stimulation of foreign direct
      investment that prioritises sustainable development in ASEAN
      contingent on, among others, respect for human rights, labour
      rights, rule of law, sustainability, and climate and environment,
      by, for example, pushing for transparency, predictability and
      security for investors alongside stringent corporate social
      responsibility rules and responsible business practices,
   3. The advancement of clear EU-ASEAN trade-related regulatory
      frameworks, as well as the promotion of EU rights, standards and
      policy frameworks such as the Eurocodes;

2. To increase efforts in improving regional security and stability,
   including:
   1. The sharing of information, intelligence and technology to combat
      transnational and cybercrime,
   2. The initiation of security summits and other diplomatic means to
      foster discussion in which the EU could act as an independent
      conduit for dialogue amongst the claimant states in the South China
      Sea dispute,
   3. The continued strong denouncement of authoritarianism, the breach of rule of law and
      human rights in the region, particularly recently in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and through Indonesia on Western New Guinea, and
      the continued urging for the immediate and unconditional release of
      political prisoners;

3. To broaden the scope of collaboration and socio-cultural cooperation with
   ASEAN, including:
   1. The active involvement of the EU in the various ASEAN summits of
      which it is a member of,
   2. The organisation of cultural and social exchanges, and the fostering
      of the collaboration of artists and media producers and organisation
      of joint-exhibitions and cultural projects,
   3. The organisation of academic and research exchanges, the increased
      provision of scholarships and trainings, and further cooperation in
      terms of research, technology and investment therein,
   4. The further involvement of civil society and youth in the processes
      and discussions of EU-ASEAN, such as the more frequent organisation,
      if not yearly, of the EU-ASEAN Young Leaders Forum.