ASEAN
international organisation of Southeast Asian countries
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN, ) 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.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “ASEAN” as international organisation of Southeast Asian countries. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as international organisation of Southeast Asian countries. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7768. VIAF identifies the subject as 145098799. The Library of Congress control number is n80020520. 1 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “ASEAN”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow ASEAN primary sources, ASEAN archive and ASEAN research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “ASEAN” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.