UN General Assembly
1968

28. The aim of being of service to the world has inspired Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia to initiate the Association of South-East Asian Nations, or ASEAN for short. The goals of this Association are mainly economic and social, in order that we may first meet the pressing needs of our peoples. As President Suharto of Indonesia so aptly remarked at the opening of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting held in Djakarta in August of this year: “We [the peoples of the Association of South-East Asian Nations] are struggling to give fulfilment to our independence through our national aims and are aspiring to elevate the welfare of our peoples in a manner that accords with our respective identities.” This demonstrates how the peoples of ASEAN are striving, in their own way, to contribute to both regional and world prosperity.