Abstract
What is the role of regional organisations in advancing ideas about the political and social conditions in their member states? This book has explored this fundamental question, with particular attention to the representations made by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This chapter draws together the findings of the book and considers the implications of its key argument—that member states representatives are motivated by their perceptions of external regional legitimacy (ERL) to make particular normative statements about the importance of democracy and human rights. While these statements are significant given the signalling of intentions which depart from traditional ASEAN norms, they lack resonance for the majority of Southeast Asian peoples. Thus, important questions arise about whether ASEAN matters, and to whom.
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Poole, A. (2019). Conclusions: Liberal Norms and the Role of Regional Organisations. In: Democracy, Rights and Rhetoric in Southeast Asia. The Theories, Concepts and Practices of Democracy. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15522-3_4
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