Supreme Court E-Library
Information At Your Fingertips

July 31, 1961

Note: The Agreement entered into force, July 31, 1961.

The Prime Minister of the Federation of Malaya, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand;

Upholding the ideals of peace, freedom, social justice and economic well-being;

Believing that these ideals can best be attained by fostering good understanding, good neighbourliness and active co-operation among nations; Desiring to establish a firm foundation for common action to further economic and social progress in South-East Asia;

Convinced that mutual co-operation in the economic Held and cultural relationship will greatly contribute to their endeavour to enhance the welfare of their respective nations and promote better understanding and mutual appreciation among their peoples;

Do hereby declare:

First, the establishment of an association for economic and cultural cooperation among the countries of South-East Asia to be known as ASA — Association of South-East Asia.

Second, that the aims and purposes of the Association shall be:

1. To establish an effective machinery for friendly consultations, collaborations and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, scientific and administrative fields;

2. To provide educational, professional, technical and administrative training and research facilities in their respective countries for nationals and officials of the associated countries;

3. To exchange information on matters of common interest or concern in the economic, cultural, educational and scientific fields;

4. To cooperate in the promotion of South-East Asian Studies;

5. To provide a machinery for fruitful collaboration in the utilization of their respective natural resources, the development of their agriculture and industry, the expansion of their trade, the improvement of their transport and communication faciiities, and generally raising the living standards of their peoples;

6. To cooperate in the study of the problems of international commodity trade; and

7. Generally, to consult and cooperate with one another so as to achieve the aims and purposes of the Association as well as to contribute more effectively to the work of existing international organizations and agencies.

Third, that this Association is in no way connected with any outside power or power bloc and is directed against no other country, but is essentially a free association of countries of South-East Asia having as its objectives the promotion, through joint endeavour, of the well-being and the economic, social and cultural progress of this region.

This Declaration, made at Bangkok, this thirty-first day of July, nineteen hundred and sixty one, shall be known as the Bangkok Declaration.

TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN PUTRA AL-HAJ
Prime Minister of the Federation of Malaya

FELIXBERTO M. SERRANO
Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines

THANAT KHOMAN
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand