September 2024
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30  
Tags
AIIB ASEAN ASEAN (R) ASEAN-ISIS Asia Big Tech CH: Hong Kong Country (R): Indonesia Country (R): Malaysia Country (R): Myanmar Country (R): Singapore Country: ASEAN Country: Australia Country: Cambodia Country: China Country: Germany Country: India Country: Indonesia Country: Japan Country: Laos Country: Malaysia Country: Myanmar Country: North Korea Country: Philippines Country: Qatar Country: Russia Country: Singapore Country: South Korea Country: Taiwan Country: Thailand Country: UK Country: United States Country: US Country: USA Country: Vietnam covid-19 DE: 5G DE: Data privacy DE: Data security DE: Facebook Digitalisation Elections: Indonesia 2019 Elections: Thailand 2019 ESG: Climate Change ESG: Diversity ESG: Energy ESG: Green Finance ESG: Green Growth ESG: Haze ESG: Human Rights ESG: Modern Slavery ESG: Peatland ESG: Riau ESG: Smallholders ESG: Sustainability ESG: Sustainable/Green Infrastructure European Union Event: SDSWR Events: AAF Fukushima Global Citizens Singapore Indonesia: Jokowi Institute: ERIA Institute: SIIA JP: Abenomics Leaders: Kim Jong Un Leaders: Lee Hsien Loong Megatrends: Populism MM: Aung San Suu Kyi MM: NLD MM: Rakhine State MY: Anwar Ibrahim MY: GE14 MY: Mahathir Mohamad MY: Najib Razak New Horizons New Zealand Nicholas Fang Oh Ei Sun Recovery Region: European Union Region: Latin America Region: Middle East Reports Security: South China Sea Security: Terrorism SG: Lee Kuan Yew SG: SG Secure SG: Smart Nation SG: Society Simon Tay Sustainable infrastructure Topic (R): Belt and Road Topic (R): Business Topic (R): Digitisation Topic (R): Economy Topic (R): Green Finance Topic (R): Haze Topic (R): Infrastructure Topic (R): Palm Oil Topic (R): Peatland Topic (R): Smallholders Topic (R): Sustainability Topic: Anti-Globalisation Topic: Belt and Road Topic: Business Topic: Coronavirus Topic: COVID-19 Topic: Deforestation Topic: Development Topic: Digital Economy Topic: Digitisation Topic: E-Commerce Topic: Economics Topic: Economy Topic: Elections Topic: Environment Topic: ESG Topic: Finance Topic: Global Citizens Topic: Globalisation Topic: Human Trafficking Topic: Indo-Pacific Topic: Infrastructure Topic: Investment Topic: Labour Topic: Nuclear Topic: Palm Oil Topic: Race Topic: Regional Integration Topic: Religion Topic: Security Topic: Singapore-Malaysia Relations Topic: Small States Topic: Trade Trade: AEC Trade: CPTPP Trade: FTA Trade: Multilateralism Trade: RCEP Trade: TPP Trade: War Trends (Digital): Cybersecurity UK: Brexit United States US: Obama US: Trump US: Trump WEF youth

Myanmar’s Chairmanship of ASEAN: The Way Forward in Yangon

24 Jan Myanmar’s Chairmanship of ASEAN: The Way Forward in Yangon

As Myanmar begins its year as ASEAN chair, it will to deal with a whole gamut of issues facing the organisation. Given that this is its first time chairing the regional body, the international community will closely watch its performance.

Gearing up for a full year of meetings

Myanmar has just hosted the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Retreat in Bagan, and it will have to hold over 240 such regional meetings this year, which will be a lot of work for the newly opening country. However, it can count on the goodwill of the international community. As a country in transition, the international community is willing to give Myanmar all the support it needs to steer its chairmanship in the right direction.

Main themes for Myanmar’s chairmanship year

Myanmar plans to keep up the momentum on the discussions over the Code of Conduct for South China Sea. It is a non-claimant in the dispute and has traditionally had warm relations with China, meaning it may be trusted as an “honest broker”; Thailand, which is the coordinator for Sino-ASEAN relations this year, shares a similar advantage. The new ASEAN chair will also need to prepare for the deadline of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. Although Malaysia will oversee its official launch, Myanmar will have to lay the groundwork this year.

Keeping priorities focused

Myanmar must not waste this goodwill. It is in Myanmar’s best interests to aim for a smooth, drama-free chairmanship. It will need to keep its focus on the core issues facing ASEAN today, and not waste its time and energy on less significant issues.
If Myanmar can sustain its focus, the international community will do its utmost to help it succeed. With the support of its fellow members of ASEAN, Myanmar’s chairmanship has every chance of being a success.

The Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) and the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS) co-hosted a conference on 18 January titled Myanmar’s Chairmanship of ASEAN: The Way Forward in Yangon. Participants, who came from the ASEAN-ISIS network of think tanks, discussed issues pertinent to Myanmar’s Chairmanship of ASEAN, including the South China Sea and the great power rivalry over Asia, the East Asia Summit and the G20, the ASEAN Economic Community, and the ASEAN Charter.