The recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit gathering heads of state and representatives of member states and dialogue partners in Cebu is indeed an impressive event. To better understand the significance of the event, it is appropriate to review the regional group's history, and reflect on the future of its member nations as they move to overcome current global challenges.

For context, let us first examine the history. ASEAN, as we know it today, was the successful outcome of previous attempts by some Southeast Asian countries to organize a group of nations to contain the growing threat of communism in the early days of the Cold War.

In 1968, in Bangkok, a declaration was signed by the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia pledging to cooperate on security as well as achieve common socio-economic development goals to establish ASEAN. This initial meeting led to successive summits in the 1970s, as well as the establishment of key economic cooperation agreements.

Thus, ASEAN has not only grown in size but also in importance on the global stage. From five countries in 1968, the membership has grown to 11 members in 2025, with a combined population of almost 700 million. If ASEAN were a country, it would be the third most populous and the fifth largest economy at $3.8 trillion in 2023.

The tools and rules it has established for itself set it up to be an economic powerhouse. The ASEAN Free Trade Area was established in 1993, leading to the lowering of tariffs among ASEAN member states and the eventual formation of the ASEAN Economic Community. On the political and security front, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was established in 1994. The Bali Concord II in 2007 galvanized the concepts surrounding the three ASEAN Community pillars.

While some may believe that its mechanisms are far from perfect, the templates of common action are in place to enable common action, resting on principles of consensus seeking and non-interference in internal affairs of member nations, whose governance cultures are diverse as the ethnic makeup of their citizens. I believe that this has allowed member states the confidence to collaborate on common issues, evident in ASEAN’s capability to deal with common challenges. It has fostered cooperation in dealing with the 1997 Asian Financial crisis, the transboundary haze, and conflict situations such as those in Cambodia and the recent Covid 19 pandemic.

Note that these common challenges come amid the need to sustain national ambitions, such as keeping economies growing through trade and investment, combating poverty, and ensuring that the young population and their families are fed and flourishing. ASEAN has learned from these experiences and will likely apply the gained knowledge of present challenges and future crises.

To deal with these and other challenges, the first step is for each ASEAN member state to have a clear view of its long-term national interest and to understand our common interest as neighbors in ASEAN. A deep understanding of these enables member nations to fully participate in the mechanisms of ASEAN for their growth and survival. This forms the basis of consensus and sets the stage for strong and decisive collective action.

On the other hand, a flimsy understanding of national interest creates uneven commitments. A firm and deep understanding of national interest covers not only short-term issues such as dealing with pandemics, but more importantly, how they align with, support, and do not undermine long-term ambitions and development goals of each member state.