[Title] ANNEX for ASEAN Security Community, Plan of Action

ACTIVITIES

I. Political Development

1. Promotion of a just, democratic and harmonious environment :

a. Strengthening democratic institutions and popular participation;

b. Promoting understanding and appreciation of political system, culture and history of ASEAN Member Countries;

c. Strengthening the rule of law and judiciary systems, legal infrastructure and capacity building;

d. Promoting free flow of information among and within ASEAN Member Countries;

e. Enhancing good governance in public and private sectors;

f. Strengthening effective and efficient civil services; and

g. Preventing and combating corruption.

2. Promotion of human rights and obligations:

a. Establishing a network among existing human rights mechanisms;

b. Protecting vulnerable groups including women, children, people with disabilities, and migrant workers; and

c. Promoting education and public awareness on human rights.

3. Promotion of people-to-people contacts:

a. Encouraging the role of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation (AIPO) in political and security cooperation;

b. Promoting public participation and the contribution of the ASEAN People's Assembly (APA) to the ASEAN community building;

c. Strengthening the role of the ASEAN Foundation;

d. Encouraging the contribution of ASEAN-ISIS to political development;

e. Strengthening the role of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC); and

f. Supporting the activities of the ASEAN University Network.

II. Shaping and Sharing of Norms

1. Strengthening the TAC regime:

a. Accession to the TAC by non-ASEAN countries; and

b. Periodic assessment of the implementation of the TAC and exploration of ways and means for its effective implementation.

2. Working towards development of an ASEAN Charter which will inter alia reaffirm ASEAN's goals and principles in inter-state relations, in particular the collective responsibilities of all ASEAN Member Countries in ensuring non-aggression and respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity; the promotion and protection of human rights; the maintenance of political stability, regional peace and economic progress; and the establishment of effective and efficient institutional framework for ASEAN.

3. Resolving all outstanding issues to ensure early signing of the Nuclear Weapon States to the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty.

4. ASEAN Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) Agreement:

a. Compilation of existing bilateral MLA Agreements among ASEAN Member Countries and between ASEAN and other countries;

b. Identification of issues relating to the establishment of an ASEAN MLA Agreement; and

c. Conclusion of ASEAN MLA Agreement.

5. ASEAN Extradition Treaty as envisaged by the 1976 Declaration of ASEAN Concord:

a. Identification of ASEAN political decisions to establish Extradition Treaty and bilateral Extradition Treaties between ASEAN Member Countries; and

b. Establishment of a working group on ASEAN Extradition Treaty under the purview of ASEAN Senior Law Officials Meeting (ASLOM).

6. Ensuring the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) through, inter alia:

a. Establishing an ASEAN-China Working Group on the Implementation of the DOC;

b. Establishing a review mechanism on the implementation of the DOC; and

c. Working towards the adoption of the Code of Conduct in South China Sea (COC).

7. ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism:

a. Identification and analysis or assessment of documents and relevant instruments related to counter terrorism;

b. Working towards accession to and ratification of the relevant UN conventions on counter terrorism; and

c. Preparation, negotiation and conclusion of an ASEAN convention on counter terrorism.

III. Conflict Prevention

1. Strengthening Confidence Building Measures:

a. Organising and conducting regional military exchanges among high-ranking officials, military academies, and staff colleges of ASEAN Member Countries, apart from increasing bilateral visits and exchanges;

b. Periodic publication of strategic assessments on the security environment, defence policies, and other security issues, such as Defence White Papers and equivalent documents;

c. Working towards convening of an annual ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM);

d. Promoting exchange of observers at military exercises;

e. Establishment of an ASEAN Arms Register to be administered by the ASEAN Secretariat, in line with a similar activity being conducted in the ARF;

f. Utilising military and civilian personnel in disaster relief operation;

g. Promotion of civil-military relations; and

h. Exploring joint development and sharing of resources.

2. Strengthening Preventive Measures:

a. Publishing an ASEAN Members Annual Security Outlook;

b. Voluntary briefing by ASEAN Member Countries on national security issues; and

c. Developing an ASEAN early warning system based on existing mechanisms to prevent occurrence/escalation of conflicts.

3. Strengthening the ARF process in support of the ASEAN Security Community:

a. ARF Unit within the ASEAN Secretariat;

b. Enhanced role of the ARF Chair;

c. Strengthening ASEAN's role in addressing the four overlapping issues of CBMs and Preventive Diplomacy (Enhanced role of the ARF Chair, Annual Security Outlook, Register of Experts/Eminent Persons, Voluntary Briefing on Regional Issues); and

d. Moving the ARF to the preventive diplomacy stage and beyond (implementation of the Concept Paper on Preventive Diplomacy, establishment of an Intersessional Support Group on Preventive Diplomacy).

4. Enhancing cooperation on non-traditional security issues:

a. Combating transnational crimes and other trans-boundary problems, including money laundering, illegal migration, smuggling and illegal trade of natural resources, trafficking in persons, drugs and precursors, as well as communicable diseases;

b. Promoting ASEAN maritime security cooperation;

c. Strengthening law enforcement cooperation; and

d. Promoting cooperation on environmental issues including haze, pollution and floods.

5. Strengthening efforts in maintaining respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty and unity of member countries as stipulated in the Declaration on Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in Accordance with the Charter of the United Nations:

a. Strengthening cooperation on the state's obligation not to intervene in the affairs of other neighbouring states, including refraining from the use of military, political, economic or other form of coercion aimed against the political independence or territorial integrity of other neighbouring states;

b. Enhancing cooperation among ASEAN Member Countries to prevent the organisation, instigation, assistance and participation in terrorist acts in other neighbouring ASEAN Member Countries;

c. Preventing the use of territory of any ASEAN Member Country as base for any activities against security and stability of neighbouring ASEAN Member Countries; and

d. Strengthening cooperation to address subversive and insurgency activities aimed at neighbouring ASEAN Member Countries.

6. Strengthening cooperation to address threats and challenges posed by separatism.

IV. Conflict Resolution

1. Strengthening Dispute Settlement Mechanisms:

a. The use of existing modes of pacific settlement of disputes such as negotiations and consultations, good offices, conciliation and mediation by all ASEAN Member Countries, or use of the High Council of the TAC as a preferred option; and

b. If the High Council so requires, it may establish on an ad hoc basis an Experts Advisory Committee (EAC) or an Eminent Persons Group (EPG), which may extend assistance to the High Council to provide advice or counsel on the settlement of disputes upon request, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the High Council of TAC.

2. Developing regional cooperation for maintenance of peace and stability:

a. Promoting technical cooperation with the UN and relevant regional organisations in order to benefit from their expertise and experiences;

b. Establishing/assigning national focal points for regional cooperation for maintenance of peace and stability;

c. Utilisation of national peace keeping centres which currently exist, or are being planned, in some ASEAN Member Countries to establish regional arrangement for the maintenance of peace and stability; and

d. Establishing a network among existing ASEAN Member Countries' peace keeping centres to conduct joint planning, training, and sharing of experiences, with a view to establishing an ASEAN arrangement for the maintenance of peace and stability.

3. Developing Supporting Initiatives:

a. Promoting exchange and cooperation among ASEAN centres of excellence on peace, and conflict management and resolution studies; and

b. Considering the establishment of an ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation.

V. Post-conflict Peace Building

1. Strengthening ASEAN humanitarian assistance:

a. Providing safe havens in conflict areas;

b. Ensuring the delivery of basic services or assistance to victims of conflict;

c. Orderly repatriation of refugees/displaced persons and resettlement of internally displaced persons;

d. Ensuring safety of humanitarian relief assistance workers;

e. Promoting the role of humanitarian relief assistance organisations;

f. Considering the establishment of an ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Centre; and

g. Intensifying cooperation with the United Nations and other organisations/donor countries.

2. Developing cooperation in post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation in affected areas by:

a. Undertaking human resources development and capacity building;

b. Assisting in institutional building and promoting popular participation;

c. Reducing inter-communal tensions through educational exchanges and curriculum reform; and

d. Increasing cooperation in reconciliation and promotion of a culture of peace.

3. Establishing a mechanism to mobilise necessary resources to facilitate post-conflict peace building (e.g. a Stability Fund), including through cooperation with donor countries and international institutions.