Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)

Established: By foreign ministers of member states August 9, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand.

Purpose: “To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region…to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific, and administrative fields…to collaborate more effectively for the greater utilization of [the member states’] agriculture and industries, the expansion of their trade, including the study of problems of international commodity trade, the improvement of their transport and communication facilities and raising the living standards of their people.”

Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia.

Principal Organs: ASEAN Heads of State and Government, ASEAN Ministerial Meeting, ASEAN Community Councils, ASEAN Standing Committees.

Website: www.asean.org.

Secretary General: Lim Jock Hoi (Brunei).

Membership (10): Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, ...