Manila Declaration
Philippines, 15 December 1987
The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, the President of the Republic of the Philippines, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, and the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand;
REAFFIRMING their commitment to the ASEAN Declaration, the Declaration of ASEAN Concord, the Declaration of the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality of 1971, and the 1977 accord of Kuala Lumpur;
ENCOURAGED by the achievements of ASEAN in the last two decades, partirularly in creating a political environment conducive to the development of its members, and in carving out a distinct identity recognized and respected in the community of nations;
HAVING reviewed the current international political and economic situation and having considered the implications for ASEAN of changes over the last decade;
CONVINCED that economic development and progress are fundamental to the stability and security of the region.
MOVED by an abiding faith in the capabilities of their peoples and the potentials for growth of their nations, and by a deep hope in the future of ASEAN;
ENDEAVOURING to advance the achievements of ASEAN as a dynamic and cohesive, regional association of states for the well-being of its peoples;
DO HEREBY DECLARE:
1. Member states shall strengthen national and regional resilience to ensure security, stability and growth in the ASEAN region.
2. ASEAN regionalism founded upon political, economic, and cultural cohesion is more vital than ever for the future of Southeast Asia.
3. ASEAN shall pursue regional solidarity and cooperation under all circumstances, especially whenever pressures and tensions of any kind, arising from within the region or from without, challenge the capacities, resourcefulness, and goodwill of the ASEAN nations.
4. Intra-regional disputes shall be settled by peaceful means in accordance with the spirit of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and the United Nations Charter,
5. While each member state shall be responsible for its own security, cooperation on a non ASEAN basis among the member states in security matters shall continue to accordance with their mutual needs and interests.
6. Member states shall strengthen intra-ASEAN economic cooperation to maximize the realization of the region's potential in trade and development and to increase ASEAN's efficacy in combating protectionism and countering its effects.
7. Member states shall encourage an environment in which the private sector can play an increasing role in economic development and in intra-ASEAN cooperation.
8. ASEAN functional cooperation shall promote,increased awareness of ASEAN, wider involvement and increased participation and cooperation by the peoples of ASEAN, and development of human resources.
9. ASEAN shall remain firmly resolved in eradicating the scourge of drug abuse and illicit societies and debilitates its peoples.
AND DO HEREBY AGREE AS FOLLOWS:
POLITICAL COOPERATION
1. ASEAN solidarity shall be strengthens through the adoption of common staiids an collective actions on matter's vital to ASEAN cohesion and resilience and through close coordination on matters of common interest at the international level.
2. ASEAN shall continue and intensify efforts in finding a durable comprehensive political solution to the Kampuchean problem the interest of achieving peace and stability not only in Kampuchea but also for the region a whole. Positive steps by Vietnam in responsive by Vietnam in response to ASEAN's efforts would contribute to such a solution.
3. ASEAN shall persevere in the efforts to an effective solution to the problem of Indo Chinese refugees in Southeast Asia.
4. ASEAN shall intensify all efforts tow achieving the early realization of a Zone of Pe Freedom and Neutrality in Southeast Asia (ZOPFAN) in consultation with states outside ASEAN.
5. ASEAN shall intensify its efforts toward early establishment of a Southeast Asia Nu Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ), including contin~uation of the consideration of all as relating to the establishment of the Zone an of an approriate instrument to establish the Zone.
6. ASEAN shall promote and develop cooperation with states in the Pacific region, both industrialized and developing states, in recognition of its increasing dynamism and potential. Relations with the developing countries in the region could also be fostered in the context of Sout-South cooperation.
ECONOMIC COOPERATION
7. To intensify efforts toward significan expansion of intra-ASEAN trade, ASEAN shall adopt and carry out a package of measures for the improvement of the Preferential Trading Arrangements (PTA). Such measures shall include the progressive reduction in the number of items the member-countries' exclusion lists and the deepening of the margin of preference for its currently in the PTA. ASEAN shall also relax ASEAN-content requirement in the Rules Origin on a case-by-case basis. The standstil non-tariff barriers (NTBs) shall be implemented and the rollback of NTBs negotiated as so( possible after the Manila Meeting of Heads of Government.
8. ASEAN shall accelerate sound industry development within the region by making ASEAN Industrial Joint Ventures (AIJV) Scheme more flexible, quicker to implement a attractive to private investors. It shall also aim to conclude an investment guarantee a among ASEAN countries, continue to exchange information on national industrial and plans, and take appropriate measures encourage the increased flow of know-how and foreign investment into the ASEAN region.
9. In the field of finance and banking, ASEAN endorses the establishment of an AS Reinsurance Corporation by 1988. 0the forward-looking measures in this field include use of the intra-ASEAN Model of Double Taxation Convention as a guide, liberalisation the use of ASEAN currencies in intra-ASEAN trade which could be extended to investment and enhancement of the efficiency of customs and tax administrators through training programmes.
10. In the area of intra-ASEAN cooperate on commodities, ASEAN shall take joint action to address problems of structural surpluses, seek greater market shares, develop indigenous resource-based industries, intensify research and development (R&D) programmes and encourage the establishment of producer associations, regional trade associations and commodity exchanges.
11. In the light of the growing importance of trade in services, ASEAN shall enhance closer cooperation in this area.
12. ASEAN shall encourage intra-ASEAN travel and develop a viable and competitive tourist industry. The year 1992, the 25th Anniversary Year of ASEAN, is declared as "Visit ASEAN Year".
13. ASEAN shall enhance cooperation in the field of energy, including energy planning, exchange of information, transfer of technology, research and development, manpower training, conservation and efficiency, and the exploration production and supply of energy resources.
14. In the field of transportation and communications, ASEAN shall pursue the introduction of Brokers Telegraph System. Inter-ASEAN Bulk Pool System, and Point-to-Point Shipping Services, and the establishment /strengthening of Freight Booking and Cargo Consolidation Centres. The existing transportation system shall be strengthened to ultimately form an overall ASEAN transportation network.
15. ASEAN cooperation in food, agriculture and forestry shall be aimed at improving the standard of living in the agricultural and forestry sectors; sustaining adequate supply of basic agricultural and forestry commodities to meet regional needs; and reducing the differences in agricultural and forestry structures in the region. Future cooperative efforts shall be geared towards greater private sector involvement and more emphasis on human resources development of farmers, fishermen and forestry workers.
RELATIONSHIP WITH DIALOGUE PARTNERS
16. While ASEAN's dialogues with Australia, Canada, the European Community, Japan, New Zealand and the United States have covered wide areas, member states shall further emphasize market access, trade and tourism promotion, investments, flow of resources, industrial development, transfer of technology, human resources development, and support for ASEAN positions in international fora. ASEAN's dialogues with these countries should be kept under review to meet these objectives.
FUNCTIONAL COOPERATION
17. Member states shall, through education, institutional linkages, and improved flow of information, seek to enhance awareness of ASEAN, inculcate in the people the common socioeconomic values and heritage, and promote mutual understanding of the culture, traditions and ways of life of their nations.
18. Intra-ASEAN functional cooperation shall be designed for a wider involvement and increased participation by the women and youth, as well as Non-Govemmental Organizations, InterGovernmental Organizations and ASEAN InterParliamentary Organization.
19. ASEAN shall intensify its cooperation on health, drug abuse prevention and combatting illicit trafficking in drugs, labour, law, population, child survival and welfare, sociocultural programmes, and science and technology.
20. In the area of environment, ASEAN shall cooperate in promoting the principle of sustainable development and systematically integrating it into all aspects of development and shall focus on the need for pohcy guidelines to protect ASEAN's common resources and environment
21. ASEAN shall emphasize developing an intelligent and highly productive workforce by increasing investment in science and technology and by providing effective training in order to facilitate effective transfer of technology.
MACHINERY FOR ASEAN COOPERATION
22. The ASEAN organizational structure will continually be improved with a view to enhancing its effectiveness.
DONE in the City of Manila of the Philippines, this Fifteenth Day of December in the Year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Eighty-Seven, the twentieth year of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
