We live more and more in a world of regions since the end of the Cold War closed down the global conflict between private capitalism and statified communism. Forty years ago the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) was founded to insulate its original five members from some of the worst effects of that conflict.
In the 1990s Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Burma joined up with Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei to form a stronger regional group. Yesterday Asean took a further major step at its summit in Singapore by agreeing on a political charter and the establishment of a single market by 2015.
The charter proclaims "one vision, one identity, one community" for Asean. It seeks to maintain and enhance peace and security in the region; "adhere to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms"; establish a human rights body; respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national identity of its members; not to interfere in their internal affairs; protect the region's environment; alleviate poverty and narrow the development gap between them. The single market target aims at free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labour and capital.
It is all too easy to contrast these political aspirations with the weak institutional base of Asean, its consensual decision-making, the wide range of regime types it brings together, the lack of any means to expel, suspend or otherwise discipline breaches of its norms and ensure they are implemented, and - above all - the enduring commitment not to interfere in each other's internal affairs. The Burma crisis mocks these weaknesses in the face of regional and international protests about the continuing repression there.
There is much truth in such criticisms, but they should be put in the specific political context of Asean's own development. It brings together military regimes, one party states and democracies of various types, so cannot be expected to behave as if they were much more uniform. There is a clear gulf between the economically and politically underdeveloped states such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma and the others which are willing to go further towards regional integration. Only 20 per cent of regional trade is intra-Asean, compared to 60 per cent of the European Union's, for example.
So Asean has a long way to go. It has travelled less far at this summit than many of its members hoped, because of the Burmese issue. But this is still a significant milestone which should prepare the way for more development.