1. Regionalism and Conflict Management: A Case Study of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Assoc. Prof. Ramses Amer ramsesamer@gmail.com

2. Outline of the paper Purpose and structure Conflict management in the formation of ASEAN Mechanisms for dispute management within ASEAN Dispute management in ASEAN ASEAN and the management of the South China Sea Situation Concluding remarks

3. Mechanisms for dispute management within ASEAN ASEAN Declaration Declaration of ASEAN Concord Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) Rules of Procedure of the High Council of TAC Declaration of ASEAN Concord II Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint

4. Dispute management in ASEAN Conflict management in an expanded ASEAN Preference of bilateral approaches to dealing with disputes Possible importance of the Rules of Procedures of the TAC Role of ASEAN mainly as norm creator not third-party mediator Reconciling regional mechanisms with international arbitration

5. ASEAN and the management of the South China Sea Situation Intra-ASEAN dimension Five member-states with claims in the South China and four of them with claims over the whole or parts of the Spratlys Reconciling the interests of claimants and of non-claimants within ASEAN ASEAN external relations dimension ASEAN-China dialogue - DOC Promoting common norms of behaviour – TAC Challenge of handling tensions between member-states and China

6. Concluding remarks ASEAN’s role is to establish basic rules that member-states should abide by ASEAN’s role is to adopt mechanisms for dispute management that member-states can utilise ASEAN can only act in a dispute if asked to do so by the parties to the dispute No intra-ASEAN dispute has been brought to the High Council China’s accession to the TAC in 2003 expands common norms and makes the High Council a potential dispute managment mechanims for disputes invloving member-states and China DOC usefull but limited, which implies that ASEAN and China should strive to develop new legal arrangements