The Development of Sub-Regional Institutions in Southeast Asia: The Case of BIMP-EAGA

Abstract

The relationship between economics and sub-regionalism remains relatively unexplored, particularly in the Asia-Pacific context. This article seeks to broaden the comprehension of various dimensions of this relationship. One of the focuses is to understand the circumstances in which sub-regional institutions have come to be defined as components of economic development in Southeast Asia. Another is to develop a more nuanced approach to regional studies, one that recognizes that institutional changes can occur in many forms, like Historical Institutionalism. This paper’s starting point is on the emphasis that institution is a social construction: political contestations between the social forces in the domestic often influences how state shaped regional institutions that would serve their interest. It uses the critical juncture framework championed by the Historical Institutionalist approach during that particular period to produce divergent outcomes. This study uses BIMP-EAGA to provide some grounds for optimism on the relationship between institutional changes and economic development in the region. Keywords: Historical Institutionalism, critical juncture, economic development, institutional changes, sub-regional institutions, and BIMP-EAGA

Liberal Institutionalism Theory Approach in Asean’s Security Cooperation through Regionalism

“…Efforts to change the identity and value of localization will result in difficulties to implement and continue with ASEAN regionalization and cooperation and instead increase security threats to the existing collaboration (Richard, Evan, and Vicente 2017).Besides,over the last thirty years, Southeast Asia has experienced considerable regionalization, integration, and deepening of political, social, and economic ties, especially among ASEAN member states. The acceleration of globalization and multilateralism after the end of the Cold War also signaled the need to further augment the integration of economic and security activities across the national border that could ease many restrictions ranging from reduction of tariffs barriers, free trade, and good movements and the deepening of economic bilateral ties (Hashim and Julay 2021).…”