ASEAN, moving from the nation state to the ASEAN state

ASEAN has moved from a non-aggression pact that reaffirmed the principles of territorial integrity to a regional international organisation that founds itself on three communities: the Economic, the Political Security, and the Socio-Cultural. In addition, its centre of gravity shifted from providing security to economic integration and managing globalisation. On its face, its leitmotif of State sovereignty would appear to stymy such a transformation. This has been possible because ASEAN articulates understandings of what States in South-East Asia are about. This happened because ASEAN was there to secure these, and the consensual, non-binding nature of this exercise made it unthreatening. This has allowed the narrative about what States do to thicken. Initially, they were about securing independent and stable government and territorial consolidation. Over time, this has evolved to justify the developmental State on the basis it secured well governed public spheres and an array of economically and socially beneficial policies.