The ARF in Transformation

The year 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Established during the tumultuous Cold War period, the group is now proud of playing a significant role in the Asia-Pacific. As the Philippines’ Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter S. Cayetano put it during the 50th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and related Meeting in Manila in August 2017, ASEAN is now“respected, resilient and dynamic, enjoying the respect and admiration of many other countries and other regional organisations around the world”. However, during those very events, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), one of the ASEAN-led
mechanisms, had to cope with ever-growing conundrums. Since its establishment 23 years ago, the ARF has been facing multi-faceted challenges and even criticisms of its relevance to the ongoing developments in the region, especially its capacity to help resolve potential regional conflicts.

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