Establishment 2002 | ||
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Type Regional cooperation organisations Members 34 Countries Afghanistan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China India Indonesia Iran Japan Kazakhstan Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Malaysia Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Tajikistan Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam | ||
The Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) is an inter-governmental organisation created on 18 June 2002 to promote Asian cooperation at a continental level and to help integrate separate regional organisations such as ASEAN, SAARC, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Eurasian Economic Union.
Contents
History
It is the main objective of the former Thai Prime Minister to form the Asia Co-operation Dialogue or the forerunner to the Asian Union. The ACD's main members states are India, Kuwait, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Indonesia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, China and Japan, the so-called Major Ten ACD Nations.
The idea of an Asia Cooperation Dialogue was raised at the First International Conference of Asian Political Parties (held in Manila between 17–20 September 2000) by Surakiart Sathirathai, then deputy leader of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, on behalf of his party leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, then Prime Minister of Thailand. It was suggested that Asia as a continent should have its own forum to discuss Asia-wide cooperation. Afterwards, the idea of the ACD was formally put forward during the 34th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Hanoi, 23–24 July 2001 and at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat in Phuket, 20–21 February 2002.
Objectives
The main objectives of the ACD are to:
- Promote interdependence among Asian countries in all areas of cooperation by identifying Asia's common strengths and opportunities which will help reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for Asian people whilst developing a knowledge-based society within Asia and enhancing community and people empowerment;
- Expand the trade and financial market within Asia and increase the bargaining power of Asian countries in lieu of competition and, in turn, enhance Asia's economic competitiveness in the global market;
- Serve as the missing link in Asian cooperation by building upon Asia's potentials and strengths through supplementing and complementing existing cooperative frameworks so as to become a viable partner for other regions;
- Ultimately transform the Asian continent into an Asian Community, capable of interacting with the rest of the world on a more equal footing and contributing more positively towards mutual peace and prosperity.
Member States
The ACD was founded by 18 members. Since March 2016, the organization consists of 34 states as listed below (including all current members of ASEAN and the GCC). Overlapping regional organization membership in italics.