ASEAN

For the submarine circuits, see ASEAN (cable system).

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (in other national languages) Filipino Samahan ng mga Bansa sa Timog-silangang Asya Indonesian Perhimpunan Bangsa-Bangsa Asia Tenggara Khmer សមាគមប្រជាជាតិអាស៊ីអាគ្នេយ៍ Lao ສະມາຄົມປະຊາຊາດແຫ່ງອາຊີຕະເວັນອອກສຽງໃຕ້ Malay Persatuan Negara-negara Asia Tenggara Burmese အရှေ့တောင်အာရှနိုင်ငံများအသင်း Portuguese Associação das Nações do Sudeste Asiático Tamil தென்கிழக்காசிய நாடுகளின் கூட்டமைப்பு Tetum Asosiasaun ba Nasaun Sudeste Aziátiku Thai สมาคมประชาชาติแห่งเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ Vietnamese Hiệp hội các quốc gia Đông Nam Á Chinese 亞細安組織 東南亞國家聯盟 東南亞國家協會
Flag Emblem
Motto:  "One Vision, One Identity, One Community"
Anthem: "The ASEAN Way"
Member states shown in dark green
Headquarters	Jakarta, Indonesia
Working language	English
Demonym	Southeast Asian
Type	Regional organisation
Membership	11 members Brunei Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Timor-Leste Vietnam 1 observer Papua New Guinea
Government	Consensus-driven on the principle of non-interference
• Chairman	Bongbong Marcos
• Secretary-General	Kao Kim Hourn
Formation
• ASEAN Declaration	8 August 1967
• Free Trade Area	1 January 1993
• ASEAN Charter	16 December 2008
• QR Code Payment	c. 2020s
Area
• Total	4,522,518 km2 (1,746,154 sq mi)
Population
• 2023 estimate	683,290,000
• Density	144/km2 (373.0/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2026 estimate
• Total	$14.275 trillion
• Per capita	$20,256
GDP (nominal)	2026 estimate
• Total	$4.509 trillion
• Per capita	$6,398
HDI (2024)	0.745 high
Currency	Brunei: BND (B$) Cambodia: KHR (៛) Indonesia: IDR (Rp.) Laos: LAK (₭) Malaysia: MYR (RM) Myanmar: MMK (K) Philippines: PHP (₱) Singapore: SGD (S$) Thailand: THB (฿) Timor-Leste: USD (US$) Vietnam: VND (₫)
Time zone	UTC+06:30 to +09:00
Website asean.org

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN, /ˈæsiæn/) is an intergovernmental forum of all 11 states in Southeast Asia. ASEAN primarily focuses on Southeast Asian economic development, peaceful coexistence and adherence to international norms. ASEAN operates on the principle of consensus and respecting national sovereignty, meaning that ASEAN as a whole cannot force another member state to change its domestic laws.

ASEAN has a population of more than 680 million people and a purchasing power parity-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP) of around 6.3% global GDP. ASEAN member states represent a diverse set of economies: the least developed countries like Laos, to emerging economies like Vietnam, to developed economies like Singapore. Many Southeast Asian projects have originated from decentralised initiatives between member states, such as the ASEAN Power Grid, ASEAN Free Trade Area, ASEAN Integrated QR Code Payment System, or the mutual ASEAN visa-free policies. Every two years, it organises a sporting event to promote cultural exchange known as SEA Games.

ASEAN has strong ties with East Asian and South Asian countries. It has a vested interest in the security of the South China Sea and the greater Indo-Pacific region. In terms of diplomacy, ASEAN operates on a principle of centrality, meaning that all concerns from other countries or organisations about Southeast Asia should be routed to ASEAN instead of individual states. All Southeast Asian countries, many great powers, and international organisations have dedicated diplomatic presence near ASEAN headquarters in Jakarta.

The roots of ASEAN came from the ASEAN Declaration signed by five Southeast Asian countries in 1967. Originally, ASEAN was founded to contain communism, but gradually ASEAN was reoriented to focus on economic development and prevent foreign interference in Southeast Asia as a whole. As ASEAN expanded and admitted other countries, the member states eventually signed a binding ASEAN Charter in 2008. As of 2026, ASEAN are currently dealing with many threats, such as the worsening civil war in Myanmar, territorial disputes in the South China Sea and managing US–China tensions. Nevertheless, it is widely considered to be a successful example of regional collaboration, and its emphasis on de facto standards is seen as an opposite to the legal nature of the European Union.