Regional Cooperation in South Asia and Southeast Asia

5. Social Issues and Regional Cooperation

5 Social Issues and Regional Cooperation Social and economic well-being are closely related and this is well recognized by the promoters of regional cooperation. The framework documents that form the basis of cooperation among regional states reflect this in ample measure but very rarely do regional organizations back this up with binding commitments. By and large, the social dimension is addressed in a perfunctory and incremental fashion. Even when associations adopt a plethora of charters and protocols that list relevant areas of concern, the implementation lag is so enormous that the whole exercise ends up as a mockery. The social side of regional integration obviously requires efficient mechanisms and enormous resources similar to the undertakings made at the national level. It also calls for a massive commitment from political elites to push for social policies at the regional level. Once again it is the EU which has the most elaborate provisions backed by enforcement mechanisms to realize its stated social goals. ASEAN has been rather incremental in its approach. SAARC possesses a Social Charter which was adopted in 2004 but it suffers from a huge implementation deficit. A little recognized fact both in ASEAN and in SAARC is that social policies form the core of the EUʼs agenda. 05 Social p279-328.indd 279 4/27/07 3:18:04 PM 280 Regional Cooperation in South Asia and Southeast Asia Member states are obliged to adhere to EU law pertaining to social issues. This does not however, mean that these issues have not generated any controversies among the members. Britain, for instance, opted out of the Social Charter from 1989 to 1997. But it is generally conceded that the social dimension has been the cornerstone of the EU project which has made a serious effort to convert pious intentions into concrete policy measures. The European Social Charter was adopted in 1961 followed by an additional protocol in 1988. In 1995 a complaint mechanism was added to that and a revised charter was adopted in 1996. The Social Charter of 1989 (annexed to the Treaty of Maastricht) addresses matters relating to labour market, vocational training, equal opportunities and the working environment. The European Commission is mandated to craft proposals for translating the provisions of the charter into legislative acts. Social action programmes quickly followed the adoption of the Charter which is a political instrument that carries obligations to make sure that social rights are properly respected. Before the Charter was ratified there was no document that clearly defined the fundamental freedoms and human rights of the people at the regional level, even though the expansion in EUʼs powers had the potential to affect individual rights to a substantial extent. What makes the EU Social Charter significant is that it has its own monitoring system. The European Committee on social rights comprising independent experts examines whether have been applied effectively by the governments. the charter provisions. This is revealed in the reports the member states submit to the committee on a regular basis. 05 Social p279-328.indd 280 4/27/07 3:18:04 PM Social Issues and Regional Cooperation 281 Based on the committeeʼs conclusive findings national legislations and compliance measures have to be introduced by the member countries. In this sense the charter is not a mere declaration but a binding treaty. The EU constitutional treaty, which is at the moment in limbo, incorporated the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights which was proclaimed in December 2000. It brought together in a single text all the personal, civic, economic, political and social rights enjoyed by EU citizens. This charter has had a significant impact because of the backing it receives from the European Court of Human Rights. On the whole, the various social provisions prevalent within EU have created a social model which the Europeans cherish enormously. Although the model has now become a subject of debate within the EU (it is perceived by some members as an expensive luxury if Europe wants to be internationally competitive), the Europeans, in general are extremely reluctant to forego the benefits that it bestows. Europeʼs social charter has been widely admired for its generous provisions on the rights of the individual. It has provided sufficient inspiration for other regional bodies to come up with their own programmes of social action for the betterment of the weaker sections...