ASEAN: 50 years of peace and prosperity with tough challenges ahead

Regional stability and economic prosperity are hallmarks of the ASEAN way, but on its fiftieth anniversary the association faces a demanding security environment that will surely test it, writes Sue Thompson Fifty years ago, when formal regional cooperation in Southeast Asia began, it was clear that non-interference had unanimous support. In its inaugural declaration of 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations stated that it would focus entirely on economic, social and cultural matters.