Over the last two months, South America and South East Asia have taken huge steps forward towards creating two distinct regional blocs. But the contrasting principles in their respective blueprints for integration reflect the different political and economic philosophies driving the integration plans. Earlier this month, leaders of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Cebu in the Philippines and approved a blueprint for a charter, which will lay the foundation for a new ASEAN Community by 2015. ASEAN groups Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei, the Philippines and Indonesia. The guiding principles in the ASEAN blueprint reveal a markedly different emphasis compared to the underlying tenets in the Cochabamba Declaration, signed in Bolivia last month, paving the way towards a South American Community of Nations.

“ASEAN has actually embraced neo-liberalism 100 per cent, whereas in Latin America, with the rise of social democratic politics and leaders, there is resistance against the excesses of neo-liberalism and even rejection,” observes political scientist Johan Saravanamuttu, a retired professor who is now an independent scholar. “Therein lies the difference.” For now, these statements of intent remain words on paper and “a certain wariness about grand declarations is always advisable in the world of high-platform politics,” points out Glasgow-based political scientist John Hilley, who has researched into neo-liberalism and global politics. “Yet, the driving intent and aspirations underlying the Cochabamba Declaration are signs of the radical mood for reform now finding fervent voice across a new Latin American continent.” The Cochabamba Declaration calls for solidarity and cooperation to promote social justice and the reduction of poverty and income inequalities while strengthening multilateralism in international relations.

Democracy, pluralism and human rights appear to be given much more emphasis in South American integration compared to ASEAN’s plans for union. The Cochabamba Declaration calls for “integration without dictatorships and respect for human rights and dignity” with gender equality. It asserts that human rights should be seen as “universal, interdependent and indivisible” while “similar effort should be given to developing both civil and political rights, as well as to economic, social and cultural rights”. The Cochabamba Declaration also calls for “harmony with Nature” and speaks of preserving ecosystems balance, protecting biological diversity and valuing traditional knowledge.

“In contrast to the business-minded pragmatism of ASEAN, the Latin American union is the product of a specific historical impetus now challenging the failing neoliberal orthodoxies of Wall Street, NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas),” says Hilley. “While any institution or political alignment can ‘declare’ lofty statements of social intent, the Bolivarian reforms indicate a more revolutionary construct in the making,” he said. “Unlike ASEAN, the proposed Latin American union stands as “a counter-hegemonic model of economic development grounded in real social principles and people-centred strategies,” Hilley said. — IPS