Association Of Southeast Asian Nations Member Countries Research Articles

Determinant factors of gross domestic product (GDP) in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries

Background The gross domestic product (GDP) of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states can be used to determine their overall economic growth. In order to increase GDP, all emerging nations in Southeast Asia are stating to depend on foreign direct investment (FDI), the tourism industry, international visitors visiting ASEAN member nations banking credit, and low inflation rates. High inflation is a problem that developed and developing countries will definitely face. One of the problems faced by ASEAN member countries is that most of the member countries are in the developing country category. For ASEAN member countries, high inflation levels will encourage economic instability. GDP is less than optimal because of these classic problems in developing countries so that economic growth is not as planned. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which ASEAN established, is seen as a way to reduce unemployment, alleviate poverty by boosting the travel and tourism industry and increasing investment, as well as to offer or distribute credit to businesses at low interest rates in order to boost GDP. The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze how the GDP of ASEAN member nations is affected by FDI, foreign visitors, bank credit, and inflation. s: We analyzed panel data for seven ASEAN members from 2002 to 2020. FDI, foreign tourists, banking credit, and inflation are the research factors examined as independent variables that have an impact on GDP, the dependent variable. Results The study’s findings indicate that while inflation has a large negative impact on GDP, FDI, foreign tourism, and bank credit have a considerable positive impact on GDP. Conclusions FDI, foreign tourists, bank credit, and inflation have a significant influence on GDP in ASEAN member countries.

ASEAN, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the politics of pragmatism

Abstract The timid response of member governments of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to Russia's invasion of Ukraine has puzzled many western observers as it flagrantly violates the most basic norms of international law to which ASEAN expressly subscribes. This article seeks to provide answers to this puzzle. Informed by practice theory, the article transcends conventional realist explanations of how small and medium-sized countries respond to great power politics. Combining material and cognitive arguments, practice theory allows identifying the cultural and ideational roots of these policies and uncovering mismatches between rhetoric and agency. It suggests that, conceptualized as communities of practice, ASEAN member countries' foreign policy elites have developed a path-dependent pragmatism, which guides their response to great power politics and hence the war in Ukraine. Employing a qualitative mixed-methods approach, the empirical part of the article examines how south-east Asia's diplomatic communities of practice define pragmatism and shows that, historically, pragmatism has strongly guided their foreign policies. It traces ASEAN governments' pragmatic responses to the war in Ukraine at three levels: the national, regional and the (global) multilateral level. The article concludes that liberal proselytism does not help the West to win over ASEAN member countries to support its pro-Ukraine course.

It’s about inspiring the greater community to continue supporting this sector: Elite sport success as a main policy objective for disability sport promotion in ASEAN member states

ABSTRACT Promoting sport participation among people with disabilities is often counted as one of the policy priorities of the national government as well as a main activity of sport for development initiatives to aid the Global South. However, little is known about specific systems, policy, history, and plans for disability sport promotion understood by disability sport administrators in the Global South. The current study focused on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and aimed to explore how ASEAN government officials perceive the status of sport for people with disabilities. Representatives from nine ASEAN member countries participated in individual semi-structured interviews. The results of thematic analysis generated three themes: (1) Perceived lack of disability awareness and disability sport recognition; (2) Elite sport successes address problems at hand; and (3) Elite sport success to motivate funders. These themes suggest that successes in elite sports are of central importance for sport promotion among people with disabilities in ASEAN countries because they perceive that elite sport success can raise disability awareness, popularise disability sport, and motivate funders. Also, Paralympic success is viewed as an opportunity for them to demonstrate success otherwise unattainable in the Olympics. Some of the participants’ accounts appear to go against the current knowledge generated in the Global North; however, as funding is important to develop disability sport administration, it might be inevitable for them to continue promoting elite sport success for now.

Role of regional trade agreements in enhancing investments in mineral resources projects in ASEAN

In this research, the effects of the regional trade agreement on sustainable investment in mineral resources in 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members are investigated using econometric analysis of annual data from 1990 to 2021. The empirical estimations confirmed that the gross domestic product has an adverse effect in the short term. In addition, a 1% increase in the development of capital markets will increase green investments in mineral resources by 0.23% and 0.34% in the long and short term, respectively. Geographical distance as a proxy for transportation and insurance costs has an adverse short-term and long-term effect on the amount of green investment in mineral resources. Furthermore, the ASEAN trade-in goods agreement (ATIGA) and ASEAN investment facilitation framework are essential and significant factors in improving sustainable investment in mineral resources in ASEAN member countries.

The NSP-K and NSP-K Plus: Elevating South Korea’s Middle Power Presence Among Asean Member Countries

The Republic of Korea's New Southern Policy (NSP-K), introduced in 2017, and its New Southern Policy Plus (NSP-K+), introduced in 2020, were regarded as highlights of former President Moon Jae-in's foreign policy initiatives. Building upon the three pillars of ‘People, Prosperity and Peace', South Korea strengthened diplomatic and economic ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as part of its effort to elevate the organization as one of its main diplomatic partners. While the benefits of the NSP-K and NSP-K+ were very much focused on its external partners, the authors argue that the policy also elevated South Korea's middle power presence and ambition in the region, albeit with an unequal impact on various ASEAN member countries. This paper examines the concept of middle power and in doing so, looks at previous initiatives undertaken by South Korea in advancing its middle power strategy. It will then evaluate whether the NSP-K and NSP-K+ could be regarded as successful tools which contributed to enhancing South Korea’s middle power diplomacy and presence among ASEAN member states.

Maternal Depression during Pregnancy and Postpartum Period among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Countries: A Scoping Review

Identification of mothers with depression is important because untreated perinatal depression can have both short- and long-term consequences for the mother, the child, and the family. This review attempts to identify the prevalence of antenatal and postnatal depression (AD and PD, respectively) of mothers among the ASEAN member countries. A literature review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and the Asian Citation Index. The reviews covered publications in peer-reviewed journals written in the English language between January 2010 and December 2020. Of the 280 articles identified, a total of 37 peer-reviewed articles conducted in 8 out of 11 ASEAN member countries were included. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was the most common instrument used to identify depression. This study showed the number of studies reporting the prevalence of AD was 18 in five countries. For PD, 24 studies in eight countries were included. The prevalence of AD ranged from 4.9% to 46.8%, and that of PD ranged from 4.4% to 57.7%. This first review among ASEAN countries showed very few studies conducted in lower-middle-income and substantial heterogeneity in prevalence among studies reviewed. Further research should be conducted to estimate the prevalence using a large representative sample with a validated assessment tool among the ASEAN countries.

Road safety development evaluation for the ASEAN countries by TOSPSI-RSR

This study develops a systematic methodology, TOPSIS-RSR, to assess road safety development in an integrative manner for ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries. Using other methods and measures as references, 11 countries are ranked based on their overall road safety performance over the past ten years (2009-2018) and divided into several classes. This provides government officials and policy makers in all ASEAN member countries with a flexible tool to comprehensively assess road safety developments. Providing the ability to identify delays in the implementation of action plans and to proactively reallocate resources to more effective actions when needed. It helps ASEAN member countries to build capacity for sustainable safety management and supports them in developing future strategies.

Toward a better understanding of social impact, CSR reporting and firm performance: a look at the ASEAN banking industry

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the relationship between social impact, corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting and firm performance in the context of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) banking industry, providing insight into CSR-performance nexus debate, especially for non-environmentally sensitive industry (NESI).Design/methodology/approachWe use a sample of 27 publicly listed banks in five ASEAN member countries (i.e. Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Thailand), with the period of observations ranged from 2011 to 2019 year. This study also carefully accounts for endogeneity issues and the dynamics of social impact – CSR reporting – bank financial performance relationship.FindingsThe results show that social impact (performance) and CSR reporting negatively associate with bank performance, either measured by accounting performance or market performance. The negative association between social performance and bank financial performance also persists in a longer-term relationship. This result implies that social performance and CSR might not have the expected result for banks in ASEAN developing countries and the expected effect also does not manifest in the following periods.Practical implicationsThe negative association between social performance and financial performance implies that banks’ CSR in ASEAN might be misstargeted or that it takes more time to manifest the expected outcome. Therefore, banks should be able to foresee if social investment will finally offset the opportunity cost from diverting financial resources away from their core activities. On the other hand, policymakers must standardize the reporting related to social activities for banks and should bring the environmental and social issues to the depositors’ attention to show that these issues are also relevant in the banking industry.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to provide empirical evidence on the direct relationship between social impact, CSR reporting and firm performance in the context of ASEAN’s NESI. The results should be of potential interest value to ASEAN’s banks, regulators and shareholders.

Problems of Implementing the EU's Inter-regional Policy in the Asian Direction

Interregionalism occupies an important place in the foreign policy of the European Union, because through it the EU seeks to expand its presence in various regions of the world and export its norms, views and values. The promising, rapidly developing Asian region is no exception. This article is devoted to the study of the process of building an inter–regional policy by the European Union in the Asian direction, namely with the largest regional association in the region - the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The purpose of this study is to identify the main factors hindering the building of effective cooperation between the regions, as well as the creation of a free trade zone (FTA). The main conclusion of this study is that there are a number of obstacles to the creation of the EU-ASEAN intercontinental free trade area, which significantly affect the relations between regional groupings. Firstly, it is the practice of concluding bilateral agreements, used as a springboard for the future FTA. Bilateral agreements have already been successfully signed with individual countries, namely Singapore and Vietnam, but contradictions of both an economic and political nature arise with other ASEAN member countries. Secondly, the existing competition with China and the United States for influence in the region hinders the EU's attempts to pursue its inter-regional policy.

Impact of FTA on Trade in ASEAN and Australia Using Customs Level Data

This study examines the impact of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) on Australian trade with a particular focus on imports from ASEAN member countries to Australia. We examine the AANZFTA’s utilization by ten ASEAN countries at the six-digit trade classification level from 2012 to 2016 using Australian customs data. We implement Ando and Urata’s (2018) and Hayakawa et al.’s (2014) framework of free trade agreement (FTA) utilization based on preferential tariff margins. We also account for overlapping FTAs that are likely to impact the AANZFTA’s utilization. The results indicate that preferential tariff margins positively impact FTA utilization. However, the results also indicate that the AANZFTA’s utilization rate across ASEAN countries is low relative to Australia’s bilateral FTAs with Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. We also find evidence that co-sharing rules of origin positively impact FTA utilization.

Convergence in ASEAN

We examine and establish the likelihood of convergence among the ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Using a novel a non-linear, time-varying factor convergence estimation methodology, we find that overall income convergence is already ongoing among ASEAN members. But potential remains for convergence clubs which converge at different speeds to a common steady-state income level to emerge. Likely counterintuitively, our main finding is that the existing income differences observed among ASEAN member countries are transitory than deterministic. We discuss what our results entail for policy and argue that further examination into the type of convergence dynamics and the extent of risk-sharing is necessary to better our understanding about convergence in ASEAN and in general.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions and the Macroeconomy: Evidence from the ASEAN Region

This paper examined the effects of income, trade, and foreign direct investments (FDI) on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries for the period of 1970–2011 using the panel corrected standard errors (PCSE) estimation method. The results of the study were consistent with the environmental Kuznet’s curve (EKC) hypothesis – CO2 emissions increase as per capita GDP increases up to a certain income threshold, beyond which further increase in income is accompanied by lower emissions. However, the threshold per capita GDP (estimated to be USD 20,017) is way above the income levels of the ASEAN countries (with the exception of Brunei and Singapore). This suggests that most of the ASEAN region will still be in the upward-sloping portion of the EKC for several more years, and this necessitates an economic growth strategy that includes a stringent program to curb CO2 emissions. Nonetheless, both trade and FDIs do not significantly contribute to CO2 emissions in the ASEAN region, auguring well for the trade- and FDI-oriented development strategies adopted by most ASEAN member countries. Since low-carbon technologies and production methods are owned by high-income investing countries, trade and FDI can also be encouraged to facilitate and hasten the transfer of low-carbon technologies to the fast-developing countries of the ASEAN region.

Food Security, Agricultural Sector Resilience, and Economic Integration: Case Study of ASEAN+3

The issue of food security has been increasingly critical in many parts of the world. In many countries people are facing food crisis and it has severe impact on their economies. Ensuring food security has become a global challenge with various dimensions. This study aims to examine the impact of intraregional trade on food security in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and three additional countries (China, Japan, South Korea), known as ASEAN+3. Using panel data regression analysis, the results show that intraregional trade and the level of trade openness have positive and significant effect to increase food security as it increases food production level in ASEAN+3 countries. In pursuing food security, ASEAN needs to enhance and accelerate its future cooperation agenda. The ASEAN member countries need to support the realization of ASEAN vision 2025, which will create a more dynamic and resilient ASEAN, capable of responding and adapting to various challenges through robust national and regional mechanisms to overcome various issues, including food security.

Problems faced by ASEAN in dealing with transnational drug smuggling in Southeast Asia region

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the factors that caused The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) security regime to be ineffective in saving transnational drug smuggling, including the internalization of non-optimal values and norms of the ASEAN Drug-Free Declaration. Design/methodology/approach This study uses primary data and secondary data. Data analysis and observation are carried out simultaneously, where data are analyzed directly after it is obtained using descriptive analysis. Interactive data analysis is carried out at the initial step by collecting primary and secondary data. Data are analyzed inductively by drawing conclusions from data obtained from general views to specifics. Findings The development of ASEAN has led to the idea of “ASEAN Way,” namely, the ASEAN security forum to eliminate the use of force in maintaining relations between member countries through the dissemination of agreed values. Multilateral negotiations refer to the establishment of a negotiation regime at the ASEAN level that emphasizes the interests of ASEAN member countries in determining agreements relating to transnational drug crimes. There are several inhibiting factors in the negotiation process, namely, perception differences between ASEAN countries on the threat of drug smuggling in the Southeast Asia region and the differences of ASEAN leaders’ priorities and agenda. Originality/value The originality/authenticity of research is analyzing the factors that affect the ASEAN security system in transnational protection policies by using two models, namely, the international level negotiation model and one at the national level in the form of ratification of ASEAN international relations related to drug smuggling. At present, transnational crimes, especially drug smuggling, appear and pose a threat to national and international security. The object of this research is ASEAN international organizations in cases of transnational drug smuggling.

Развитие интеграционных процессов в АСЕАН

Amid the unstable world environment the economic “weight” transfer to Asia highlights dynamically growing role of the Asian Pacific region (APR) where a specific place is put on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The present research is devoted to processes of ASEAN member-countries regional integration development. In the current work dynamics of socio-economic indicators, volumes of the foreign direct investments (FDI) and intraregional trade are characterized. The conducted research concludes that regional development processes in ASEAN are flourishing: the ASEAN competitiveness is to a high standard, the Association is attractive from a position of foreign investment. The analysis of socio-economic indicators dynamics revealed asymmetry of ASEAN member-countries. The gap in macroeconomic indicators in comparison with the other partners of Association is observed in CMLV countries (Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam). However, such a disproportion, on the one hand, might prevent from formation of effective production networks, and, on the other, guarantee the lagging countries relative economic stability.

Classifications of Sustainable Manufacturing Practices in ASEAN Region: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis of the Past Decade of Research

This paper aimed to map the existing sustainable manufacturing literature to explore and classify existing practices to highlight the potential prospect of and obstacles to achieving manufacturing sustainability in countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This paper systematically reviews the research on sustainable manufacturing in the ASEAN region from 2011 to 2020. We used the PRISMA framework for systematic literature, and 118 research articles specific to the ASEAN region were identified through a structured keyword search in Web of Science, SCOPUS, ProQuest, and other databases. After a careful screening process, only 115 records were found appropriate to be included for review in the current study. The results revealed three significant sets of manufacturing practices that are widely used for sustainable manufacturing. These are sustainable product development, sustainable manufacturing performance, and environmental assessment and monitoring. Furthermore, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of the literature to highlight ASEAN countries’ collaborative efforts to achieve sustainability in manufacturing. The findings indicate that most of the earlier work on sustainable manufacturing focused on environmental assessment practices rather than providing holistic industrial engineering solutions. We recommend that the efforts focus on hybrid processes to establish sustainable manufacturing procedures in ASEAN member countries. Holistic solutions through industrial processing integration need to be developed to provide broader industrial solutions to protect the environment and society from the adverse effects of the manufacturing process with economic efficiency.

Effective Return and Reintegration of Migrant Workers With Special Focus on ASEAN Member States

The right of citizens to return to their home countries is a human right recognized in international human rights instruments. Return and reintegration assume special relevance in a temporary migration cycle when migrants return to countries of origin within short periods on completion of their contracts. Return migration is one of the key pillars of the migration–development nexus as return migrants bring back financial, human and social capital which can promote home country development. However, few countries monitor the return of migrant workers or maintain databases of returnees. The paper focuses on return and reintegration issues, challenges and policies in member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It was prepared as the background document for the ASEAN Workshop on Reintegration Programmes for Returning Migrant Workers (27–28 August 2019) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, organized by the Ministry of Manpower, Government of Indonesia, and the International Labour Organization (ILO). It has been revised in the light of feedback received at the workshop. This paper first deals with definitional issues, and the rationale for reintegration programmes. It highlights different types of return: voluntary or forced, timing of return (long or short stay) and motives for return (retirement, end of contracts or forced) and their implications. Next it discusses general principles that should underpin all effective return and reintegration programmes: coverage of the full migration cycle; respect for migrant rights; addressing diversity of returnees; gender responsiveness; shared responsibility between destination and origin countries; and good evidence base. The paper next highlights issues and challenges which stand in the way of effective return and reintegration in ASEAN countries. This is followed by a discussion of good practice examples drawn from ASEAN and international experiences. The final section offers several suggestions and recommendations on the way forward. Reintegration policies should be developed within the framework of overall national development, employment, and migration strategies and policies. They need to be based on consultative and participatory processes with returned workers, local communities, central and local administrations, social partners, the private sector, diaspora communities and other concerned stakeholders. Reintegration strategies must address the diverse needs of returning migrants and their families. Gender considerations must be mainstreamed in such policies and programmes. All ASEAN member countries should collect information on return migrants and their profiles.

Enhancement of Mutual Recognition and Mobility of BIM Experts in ASEAN Countries

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established in 1967 to promote the integration and creation of new opportunities for citizens of ASEAN member countries. ASEAN member countries have signed mutual recognition agreements on services (including services in the construction industry) since 2005 to facilitate the movement of human resources in ASEAN countries, with engineering services qualifications being one of the eight professional qualification recognition schemes in the region. In particular, a recent trend in the construction industry is the use of building information modeling (BIM). While BIM practitioners are increasing, BIM Practitioner Certifications (BPCs) have not yet been legalized and recognized. This study conducted interviews and a survey with industry experts, finding as a result that the recognition of the competency of BIM practitioners is in demand and needs to be legalized with the recognition of experienced engineers via registration or licensing to include BPCs. This is an important step for removing artificial barriers to the free movement and practice of professional engineers amongst ASEAN countries. Additionally, evidence suggests that the BIM workforce’s benefits only become realizable when BIM certifications are systematic and recognized. Based on the survey results and expert interviews, BIM practitioners are certificated according to three main roles: manager, coordinator and modeler. Finally, a framework for issuing BPCs is proposed in this study. This study’s results are expected to contribute significantly to the success of BIM practitioner mobility among ASEAN member countries for sustainable economic development.

Study of future power interconnection scheme in ASEAN

The current energy supply trajectory in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is not sustainable. Factors such as rising standards of living and demographic patterns, including population growth, lead to continuous increase in power demand, which is difficult to meet using limited fossil fuel resources. Thus, a transition toward clean energy sources is needed in the region. While ASEAN member countries are rich in clean energy resources, such resources are located far from demand centers; thus, allocation of clean energy is necessary to increase its utilization. In this study, power demand is forecasted using a combination of prediction methods. A model to evaluate the installed capacity and power exchange potential is proposed to deal with mismatch between the location of the clean energy base and the load center. Furthermore, the concept of cross-regional allocation of clean energy between the ASEAN region, China, and South Asia is presented. A power interconnection scheme among the ASEAN member countries as well as neighboring countries is proposed based on the power exchange potential. The proposed grid interconnection scheme contributes to the utilization of clean energy in the ASEAN region, increasing the proportion of clean energy in the generation mix, which ensures that the region becomes a sustainable and resilient society with a clean and low carbon development route. Furthermore, the proposed power interconnection scheme will generate valuable economic, social, environmental, and resource allocation benefits.

The Rohingyas: ASEAN’s Image and Responsibility

Citizens enjoy protections and different kinds of rights in a country as its nationals. The stateless people,who are denied citizenships to any country, are deprived of such kinds of protections and rights, even thefundamental human rights. Among all the minority groups of the world, the United Nations considers theRohingyas of the Arakan in Myanmar as one of the most persecuted one. They have been deprived ofcitizenship of their country for long. They see a bleak future for them when the people of the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are eagerly waiting for a greater regional identity. The Rohingyasare deprived of fundamental human rights and are victims of state persecution policies. This factcontradicts with the regional value creation endeavors of the ASEAN. This paper is based on a review ofthe relevant literature on the issue. It looks into the origin of the so called ‘statelessness’ of theRohingyas, examines the international legal framework for the protection of the stateless people ingeneral, and the commitment of the individual ASEAN member countries to that legal framework as wellas the ASEAN’s role as a regional forum.