Legal analysis of Timor Leste’s accession to ASEAN based on the perspective of international legal principles and the ASEAN charter
Keywords:
ASEAN accession, Timor Leste, ASEAN charter, International lawAbstract
This study aims to (1) analyze the process and criteria for Timor Leste’s accession as the 11th member of ASEAN. (2) to identify and evaluate the compliance of the accession process with the principles of International Law, particularly the sovereignty and equality of states, as well as the normative framework set out in the ASEAN Charter, particularly Article 6 (Membership Criteria) and Article 7 (Membership Procedures). The type of research used in this study is normative-juridical research. By using a statute approach and a conceptual approach. The results of the study indicate that (1) The decision in principle to admit Timor Leste (agreed at the 40th and 41st Summits) has been formally in accordance with the principles of International Law regarding state sovereignty and meets geographical prerequisites. However, substantially, this study found significant normative gaps in the ASEAN Charter. First, the ASEAN Charter does not explicitly detail measurable criteria for institutional and administrative readiness, so that the evaluation is dominated by political-diplomatic considerations rather than legal-administrative capacity. Second, the principle of consensus in accession decision-making (Article 7) has the potential to create normative ambiguity in the operationalization of ASEAN institutions post-accession, especially regarding resource allocation and positions in committee structures. (2) Timor-Leste’s integration requires adaptation to various ASEAN instruments, the legal harmonization process of which does not yet have a binding timeframe and normative support. This study recommends the development of detailed, transparent protocols or guidelines to evaluate the substantive readiness of future prospective members.
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