Towards shared economic recovery: ASEAN’s role in driving post-COVID regional integration

By Kaewkamol Pitadumrongkit

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected Southeast Asian economies. In 2020, travel restrictions resulted in a drop of international arrivals by 81.8 percent. Due to limited worker mobility and supply chain disruptions, Southeast Asian nations also saw a decline in international trade, investment and output.

This analysis brief explores the roles of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in helping its members recuperate from this crisis and deepen the integration going forward. While critics posit that ASEAN does little more than codifying what its participants have already done, its multilateral programs can provide value-added contributions to tackle transnational issues.

Professor Gordon Flake interviewed author and Indo-Pacific Fellow Dr Kaewkamol Pitakdumrongkit about the topics covered in this report. Watch their conversation below.