Abstract:
The thesis entitled Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):
Conceptualizing an ASEAN Model of Regional Integration (A Study on the
Likelihood of the Formation of a Southeast Asian Union) contemplates upon
the feasibility of the formation of a Southeast Asian Union akin to that of the
European Union (EU). Historically and experientially speaking, the EU is
currently the most advanced experiment of regional integration and the most
encompassing regional organization in terms of international governance and
diplomacy, successfully transcending into a supranational entity; a sui generis
indeed. Pondering upon the likelihood of the formation of a Southeast Asian
Union vis-a-vis the EU model entails the anticipation of parallel potentials and
implications in the international community. In an attempt to determine the
conceivability of the formation of a Southeast Asian Union, the study adopted
three modes of analysis: (1) Historical Analysis [to determine the evolution of the
ASEAN and to identify key advancements that were made within its 40-year
span]; (2) Comparative Analysis between the EU and the ASEAN [to determine
the applicability of the EU model in the formation of a Southeast Asian Union];
and (3) Feasibility Analysis of the Formation of a Southeast Asian Union [to
conceptualize an ASEAN model of regional integration).
