Construction Of An Asean Convention Process: An Autoethnographic Study Of An Administrative Facilitator For The “Asean Convention Against Trafficking In Persons”(Actip)

Abstract

Abstract

The importance to examine the ASEAN Convention is to identify the ASEAN Convention component-steps and realize the Principles underlying the development process because there is value in writing - the latent ASEAN Convention process as an academic agenda to generate ASEAN knowledge; and provide real world practical application to respond to the 2014 ASEAN streamlining provision. Autoethnography is used both as a framework and methodology to answer the research questions. The liberating framework of autoethnography affirmed the emancipating impetus of the ASEAN Convention to answer the research questions on the Convention Process sought and Principles underlying. As methodology, my autoethnography immersed Convention culture participation - enabled me to experience the phenomenon first hand and write the culture experience as field notes serve as the artifact, the data to where information of the study is collected from.

Through autoethnography the research questions 1) what are the component-steps processes to develop an ASEAN Convention; and 2) what are the Principles underlying the Process? - are answered from the information acquired through my Convention culture experience. Autoethnography is an emancipating framework that enabled me as a researcher to convey my first-hand culture experience of the ACTIP to re-call, identify and write the ASEAN Convention Process and make known the Principles underlying the Process; in the context of an administrative facilitator for the ACTIP.

The ASEAN Convention component-steps process includes: 1) Affirming the Foundations, 2) Managing the Framework, 3) Shepherding the Member States to address priority areas, 4) Convening the Meetings and 5) Moving the Way Forward that includes Ratification, Entry-into-Force and Cross Pillar Cooperation through Socialization. The Principles underlying the process (to correspond to the component-steps) are identified as: ASEAN tenets in consultation, non-intervention and consensus to uphold centrality; shared advocacies, shared responsibility; inclusiveness, extending highest level of cooperation for the best interest of the region, reciprocity, shared interest; socialization, and cross-pillar cooperation.Through the Convention process identified and Principles underlying revealed, I have concluded that the Convention process is a manifestation of the ASEAN Ways specifically: the ASEAN tenets and rules based multilateralism referred as mandates to uphold centrality are observed and affirmed to form the foundations of the ASEAN Convention; Frameworks are indispensable enabler platform for policy development where priority areas are made its Convention development way forward through this regional policy tool; Shepherding requires the soft and physical infrastructure to capably lead other State shepherds thus not all Member States are shepherds to ASEAN Priority Areas; The Meetings are guided by the ASEAN tenets including conflict resolution – as observed Member States form sub-groups to discuss shared interests to form “identity solutions'' and share their consensus to the whole group; That concerns/disputes are “raised and returned” to appise Principals and Capitals in respect of their internal edicts to align to the highest interest of the region and; The Convention is best shared through socialization across pillars to harmonize all the regional efforts in a united work-plan. These observations demonstrate that Principles underlying are anchored on the fundamental institution tenets to uphold ASEAN centrality and reflect the ASEAN way.

The research contributions to ASEANOLOGY have both academic and pragmatic facets. The academic impetus provides the written Convention along its processes is to be made known; and the Principles underlying the Convention are revealed to affirm that institution tenets safeguards centrality that reflects the ASEAN Ways; and whilst pragmatic than theoretical, the written Convention has real world practical application as academic response to the 2014 “streamlining provision” of ASEAN. Observations from 2014 to 2017 on Convention development were written as field notes that served as artifact and source data. The observed Convention culture identified the ASEAN process and was written as a process guide. The significant data were themed, tabled and processed to generate principles underlying. The tabled interests on frameworks, priority areas, shepherding, and culture events were analyzed as to their intra-relations and nuanced variance to make known the current state of internal dynamics - Convention culture, the “Ways” and values of ASEAN within the ASEAN Sector. The underlying bases on the phase of ASEAN were determined with the permutation of; the basic line geometry and culture events subjected upon basic math. The Assumptions on the driver of the phase of ASEAN was analyzed. By tabling culture events and sifting its origins, affirmed the inherent quality – the nature of ASEAN practices further exposing the prevailing principle of ASEAN practices.

The research generated the written ASEAN Convention Process (guide). The written Convention imbued with Principle assumptions, affirmed the fundamentals of ASEAN. The foundations in mandates and tenets guide the Convention process to uphold centrality. These foundations reinforce the enabling Frameworks to process priority areas. Lead shepherds diligently maximize these available frameworks to generate attendant frameworks necessary for Convention development. Member States in their shared advocacy and responsibility extend their highest form of cooperation to promote the highest interests of the peoples of ASEAN. The “Raise and Return” dynamics form part of the inclusive culture dynamics to respect the interest of Principals and Capitals to observe non-intervention. Socialization of the Instrument is sharing regional responsibility to fellow advocates across Pillars. Cross Pillar Cooperation encourages harmonized efforts to address regional concerns and trail blazed institution precedent. Ratification and Entry-into-Force implies altruism for the highest interest of the region over nation. These ASEAN values and emergent ways hinged upon institution tenets to safeguard the rights of the peoples, provides ASEAN its Convention culture identity.