In 2007 the ten countries signed the ASEAN Charter. By turning ASEAN into an international organization with formal legal status, that too represented a major milestone. Furthermore, the charter outlined goals for the ASEAN community in three areas: economics, security, and society and culture.
2007 年 10 國簽署《東協憲章》，更是一重要里程碑，讓東協晉升為有法律位階的國際組織，並勾勒出一個包括經濟、安全、社會文化 3 大共同體的「東協共同體」目標。