Global Agenda Council on South-East Asia 2012-2014

South-East Asia has shown remarkable recovery since the global economic crisis of 2008 — the region’s economy is projected to grow by an average of 5.5% per year between 2013 and 2017, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. To foster the economic revival, South-East Asia aims to form an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community or AEC, which will be characterized by a single market and production base. The integration process towards creating the AEC, scheduled for 31 December 2015, is proving to be a struggle because of the diverse economic growth levels of the region’s countries. The political and economic transformation happening in Myanmar, which takes on ASEAN’s chairmanship in 2015, poses a further challenge, but also presents opportunities.