1. ASEAN’s Initiatives on Social Protection: Regional Approach to a Global Problem?
Yuyun Wahyuningrum
Policy Advisor on ASEAN,
Oxfam International,

2. ASEAN: Overview
8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration)
Founding Fathers of ASEAN: 5 Foreign Ministers - Adam Malik (Indonesia), Narciso R. Ramos ( Philippines), Tun Abdul Razak (Malaysia), S. Rajaratnam (Singapore) and Thanat Khoman (Thailand)
The Context in 1960S: Conflict, Communism, Poor, Dictatorship

3. Regional Inter-governmental Organization
Est. 1967, 10 members
4.5million sq kms
580million people (growth1.5%)

4. ASEAN is changing The context in 1960s The context of 2000s Conflict:
Indonesia-Malaysia (Konfrontasi ),
Philippines-Malaysia (over Sabah)
Singapore secession from Malaysia
Mindanao, Southern Thailand
Thailand was brokering reconciliation among Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia
Poor
Communism
Cold War, arms race, proxy wars
Indochina War: Vietnam, Laos Cambodia
Burma: 1962
Club of dictators: Marcos, Suharto, Thanom, Lee Kwan Yew, Abdul Rahman
The context of 2000s
GNP of about US $ 312 billion and per capita of US $ 496
Economic development: HDI (2004): Rank 25 to 133, GDP (2006): $208 to $29,499
Diversity: Political systems – democratic, semi-democratic, constitutional monarchy, absolute monarchy
Power dynamics:
Traditional most influential member – Indonesia
The shift of power from ‘older 5’ to ‘newer 4’ (CLMV)?
Bali Concord II 2003 declared that ASEAN aims to become a single market

5. We have been together for 41 years. Let register our marriage now!

6. Why ASEAN Need Charter? To gain more international recognition
To have a legal personality (a constitution of ASEAN and a form of treaty)
To ensure members implement agreements (in the past 43 years only 30 per cent of ASEAN agreements were ratified or implemented; 55 per cent of Hanoi Plan of Action have not implemented)
To establish timeframe for cooperation, no procrastination
To end the habit of loose-talk only, more professional
To represent new ASEAN with new structure

7. The Charter: a More Predictable ASEAN?
What’s new?
The Charter
Regional Vision
Adhering to rule of law, good governance, respect for and protection of HR and fundamental freedoms
Blueprints of Cooperation
Human Rights Commission
Recognition of civil society participation
What remain the same?
Non-interference principle and consensus
Consensus vs collective responsibilities
No change to the equal sharing of the contribution to annual budget
Equal rights = equal responsibilities
Each member pays US$905,000 per year
ASEAN annual budget of US$14 million

8. ASEAN’s Commitment to Regionalism
1976 – Bali Concord I – formally adopted political co-operation as part of ASEAN regular activities
1992 – ASEAN Free Trade Agreement
1997/98 – economic crisis – acceleration of economic integration initiatives – ASEAN Vision 2020
Bali Concord II – the launch of ASEAN Community by 2020
2005 – the launch of ASEAN Charter process
2006/07 – the acceleration of ASEAN Community to 2015
2007 – ASEAN Charter drafting and the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint
2008 – ASEAN Charter ratification
2009 ASEAN Political Community and Socio-Cultural Community Blueprints

9. Context: ASEAN Community Integration
One Vision, One Identity, One Caring and Sharing Community.
Principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, respect for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Regional solidarity to realize an ASEAN Community that is politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible in order to effectively respond to current and future challenges and opportunities.
Integrated community through regional cooperation:
ASEAN Security Community,
ASEAN Economic Community,
ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community

10. Three Communities:
Had been reflected in ASEAN structures of inter-governments and processes as well as ASEAN Secretariat as the graphs will show:

12. POLITICAL –SECURITY Blueprint SOCIO-CULTURAL Blueprint
ASEAN Community
POLITICAL –SECURITY Blueprint
Rules based, shared norms and values
Cohesive, peaceful, stable, resilient with shared responsibility
Dynamic and Outward looking
ECONOMIC Blueprint
Single Market and production base
Competitive economic region
Equitable Economic development
Integration into global economy
SOCIO-CULTURAL Blueprint
Human Development
Social Welfare and Protection
Social justice and rights
Environmental Sustainability
ASEAN Identity
ASEAN Charter - One Vision, One Identity, One Caring and Sharing Community

13. TEN NATIONS, ONE CARING & SHARING COMMUNITY
ASEAN Integration 2015
Blue Print & Community
Economic
Political Security
Socio-Cultural
ASEAN Economic Community Council
ASEAN Security Community Council
ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council
Soc Welfare (AMMSWD) + ACWC
Econ Min (AEM)
AMM + AICHR
DM (AMMDM)
AFTA Council
ARF
Environment (AMME)
Defence (ADMM)
Investment (AIA)
Labor (ALMM) + ACMW
Law (ALAWMM)
Finance (AFMM)
Rural Dev (AMDPE)
Trans Crime (AMMTC)
Food, Agr, (AMAF)
Education
TEN NATIONS, ONE CARING & SHARING COMMUNITY

14. ASEC Structure

15. How then the new ASEAN respond to social protection as a regional body?

16. ASEAN Framework on Social Protection
ASEAN Social Cultural Community Blueprint
Under B.2: Social safety net ad protection from negative impacts of integration and globalization
Strategic Objective: ensure that all ASEAN peoples are provided with social welfare and protection from the possible negative impacts of globalization and integration by improving the quality, coverage and sustainability of social protection and increasing the capacity of social risk management
Initiatives:
Survey on existing social protection regimes in SEA
Exchange best practices in social security system
Social Protection in ASEAN labor practices cooperation
Establish social insurance system to cover informal sector
Network of social protection agencies

17. ASEAN Framework on Social Protection
ASEAN Social Cultural Community Blueprint
Under C1. Promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities
Strategic objective: safeguard the interests and rights as well as provide equal opportunities, and raise the quality of life and standard of living for women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities
Initiatives:
Improve social protection for the elderly in ASEAN Member States, through networking, and exchange of information
Develop social security standards in each ASEAN Member states

18. As you can see, in ASEAN …
Social protection is seen as a shield from the negative impact of integration & globalization and NOT as a HUMAN RIGHT
In fact social cultural blueprint was designed to respond the negative impact of the economic cooperation blueprint
The intervention to the social protection is still very basic

19. Recent Evolution of Social Protection System in ASEAN
In the context of Pre-Financial Crisis versus Trends in Social Protection Reforms

20. Pre-Financial Crisis …
SP approaches were quite different from one country to another in ASEAN but there are common characteristics:
Strong emphasis on self-reliance through employment and on family and other informal support networks – State as provider and as the last resort
Public spending focused on more on human capital acquisition than welfare transfers
Concentration of social insurance in the civil service and formal private sectors, contributing to low coverage in most ASEAN economies where informal employment was dominant

21. Trends in Social Protection System Reforms in ASEAN Member States
Expanding the scope of core social insurance programs
Shifting from a dominance of food and fuel subsidies to a greater reliance on targeted cash transfer program
Adoption of “anti-poverty” programs that utilize and integrated rural development approach, especially in low-income and rural settings,
On Education – increased scholarships, fee waivers and conditional cash transfers
On Health – greater efforts to ensure health services and access to the poor
Increased emphasis on improving targeting systems

22. Reflection
The Blueprint demonstrates that the negative impacts of the regional integration and globalization should be anticipated, and the current context told us that crisis should be expected to be happened again, therefore:
There is a need to reform social protection system into a transformative and people-oriented system is needed to improve people’s resilience,
There is a need to policy coherence between ASEAN Social Cultural Community and ASEAN Economic Community,
ASEAN can take a role as repository of resources, database and tools to effective social [impact] monitoring
There is a need of regional exchange of good practices on social program and documenting the practices,

23. Proposed Strategies for CSOs:
Engage the ASEAN to develop social security standards at both national and regional level and call on ASEAN to apply rights-base approach to the standard,
Work in Coalition to monitor the implementation of Social Protection Reform in ASEAN and report annually,
Call on ASEAN to come up with a regional policy coherence on social protection system that address the problems of the future: such as cost of catastrophic health issues, costs of education, weather and disaster insurance and protection to climate change, and including migrants into the protection systems, etc.

24. Target of Influences: MEMBER STATES INTER-GOVERNMENTAL MEETINGS
Get the member state(s) to champion Social Protection Reform in ASEAN
INTER-GOVERNMENTAL MEETINGS
Use SOMSWD (meets annually) and AMMSWD (meets once every 3 years), ASCC Council (meet annually): as a venue to introduce the idea and negotiate
Document: ASEAN Strategic Framework and Plan of Action for Social Welfare, Family and Children for the period of 2011 to 2015
Saving Face Politics:
Under Indonesia chairmanship 2011?
Cambodia chairmanship 2012?
Brunei chairmanship 2013?
Malaysia chairmanship 2014?
ASEAN Organs: ASEC, ASEAN SG, CPR
AICHR – TOR Art 4.2: drafting ASEAN Dec HR
ACWC & ACMW

25. ASEAN Strategic Framework and Plan of Action for Social Welfare, Family and Children for the period of 2011 to 2015
Timeline:
April-June 2010: drafting process
July 2010: SOMSWD Meeting in Hanoi to comment the Draft
Aug-October 2010: inputs from civil society?
November 2010: AMMSWD Meeting in Brunei to approve the draft.
Contact: ASEC, Dept. Women, Labor and Social Welfare

26. yuyun@oxfam.org.hk, wahyuningrum@gmail.com
Thanks!