People's participation, democratic governance, and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)

Since the introduction of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Community, the pillar of economics has been the most vibrant compared to the other two pillars, political-security and sociocultural. As of 2016, ASEAN is the sixth largest economy in the world and the third in Asia, with gross domestic product standing at US$2.6 trillion. ASEAN is expected to become the fourth largest global economy by 2050. Despite these accomplishments, ASEAN economic integration is not immune to key challenges. ASEAN is home to plenty of natural resources, but a 2015 study by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific found that Southeast Asia has lost 13% of its forest in the past two decades. The region also faces natural hazards, climate change, income inequalities, lack of social security for masses, lack of institutional capacities, and rapid demographic shifts such as urbanization and migration. To overcome this, a sustainable development model comes into the picture as an ideal structure for ASEAN to move forward. By focusing on two approaches, people's participation and democratic governance, this article intends to explore the challenges of ASEAN's sustainable development model and its way forward.