ASEAN Eminent Persons Group

The ASEAN Eminent Persons Group (EPG) is a group of prominent citizens from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries, tasked to create the charter of the ASEAN community.

The group was formed on December 12, 2005, through the 11th ASEAN Summit Declaration in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ASEAN is a socio-economic community in South East Asia founded

The mandate of the group is to examine and review the ASEAN structure, areas of cooperation, principles and goals contained in agreements, treaties and declarations over the last 38 years; and to provide the ASEAN leaders with policy guidelines on the drafting of the ASEAN charter.

• Political and security (the ASEAN Security Community)
• Economic and finance (the ASEAN Economic Community)
• Functional (the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community)
• External relations, bilaterally and inter-regionally
• Narrowing the development gap among ASEAN Member Countries, in the context of the ASEAN Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), and the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
• ASEAN structure, including decision-making process, administrative modalities, sources of funds, working methods, cross-sectoral coordination, conduct of meetings, documentation of meetings, roles of the Secretary-General and the ASEAN Secretariat

The group recommends key elements of an ASEAN Charter, including:

• Vision of ASEAN beyond 2020
• Nature, principles and objectives of ASEAN
• Membership of ASEAN
• Areas for enhanced ASEAN cooperation and integration
• Narrowing the development gap among ASEAN Member Countries
• Organs of ASEAN and their functions and working methods
• ASEAN administrative structure (mechanisms, roles of the Secretary-General and the ASEAN Secretariat)
• Legal personality of ASEAN
• Conflict resolution mechanisms
• External relations

The integration of an ASEAN community is to create a European Union-like community in the Asia-Pacific region.

Members of the EPG

• Brunei Darussalam
  • H.E. Pehin Dato Lim Jock Seng, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Cambodia
  • H.E. Dr. Aun Porn Moniroth, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme National Economic Council of Cambodia
• Indonesia
  • H.,E. Mr. Ali Alatas, former Minister for Foreign Affairs
• Lao PDR
  • H.E. Mr. Khamphan Simmalavong, former Deputy Minister of Commerce
• Malaysia
  • H.E. Tan Sri Musa Hitam, former Deputy Prime Minister) - Chairman of the EPG
• Myanmar
  • H.E. Dr. Than Nyun, Chairman of the Civil Service Selection and Training Board)
• Philippines
  • H.E. Mr. Fidel V. Ramos, former President of the Philippines, former Secretary of National Defense, Chairman of the Boa'o Forum of Asia
• Singapore
  • H.E. Prof. S. Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Law
• Thailand
  • H.E. M.R. Kasemsamosorn Kasemsri, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Vietnam
  • H.E. Mr. Nguyen Manh Cam, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs