W

hile the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) embarks on its most ambitious agenda yet, there is a need for enhancing its institutional capacity and resources, say several scholars.

The regional organization aims to both build a regional community by 2015 and expand the East Asia
Summit into a global community of nations.

“The ASEAN secretariat must be strengthened to implement the ASEAN agenda. At present the secretariat is facing a shortage of staff and does not have enough facilities,” Rizal Sukma, the executive director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said at a joint symposium in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Another respected scholar and aide to Vice President Boediono, Dewi Fortuna Anwar, doubted the institutional capacity of ASEAN.

“It’s a major step, not only in building an ASEAN Community but also in expanding it into a global community of nations beyond 2015. Whether ASEAN really has the capacity and resources to implement ASEAN agreements is a big question,” Dewi said.

While echoing a similar view, Djisman Simanjuntak, noted economist from the CSIS, called for more financing for ASEAN activities from member countries.

“We need a stronger budget for ASEAN, commensurate with its regional integration,” Djisman said.

ASEAN currently has a tiny budget and a small staff to oversee a wide range of activities.

“Our budget is small but it is misleading. We have so many programs funded by our dialogue partners, civil society and business organizations. So don’t only look at the secretariat’s budget,” ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan told The Jakarta Post on Monday during a press conference.

Djauhari Oratmangun, the Foreign Ministry’s director-general of ASEAN cooperation, echoed Surin’s view.

“I agree with Surin. But there is a need to strengthen the ASEAN Secretariat in coping with the workload,” Djauhari said.

It was not clear how Indonesia would assist the ASEAN Secretariat.

ASEAN’s strategic location, abundant natural resources and growing middle class makes it strategically important.

“The global center of gravity is moving towards East Asia. Building an ASEAN community comes at the right time. But it will be a major challenge to connect 10 different dots (10 ASEAN member states),” said Harvard University Asia Center manager Jon D. Mills.

With the theme of “Moving the ASEAN Community Forward into 2015 and Beyond”, the two-day symposium, which began on Monday, was jointly organized by the Government of Indonesia, the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and Harvard University.

Most of the speakers, mainly scholars, diplomats and policy makers, focused on issues relating to the ASEAN community building process, which is due to be completed by 2015, and future challenges beyond that date.

Several participants strongly argued that ASEAN must realize an economic community by 2015, which in turn may lead to a fully functioning single market.

“Deepening and widening ASEAN integration is an important engine for economic and social growth,” said Giovanni Capannelli from the Asian Development Bank Institute.

Meanwhile, Djauhari emphasized the fact that although ASEAN was an intergovernmental organization, it should both involve and be beneficial to the people its serves.