Backgrounder: Chronology of ASEAN summits

At the 14th ASEAN Summit in Thailand in February 2009, ASEAN leaders signed the Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015). They also adopted a number of important documents that are of strategic importance to the ASEAN development.

ASEAN leaders at the 15th ASEAN Summit in October 2009 adopted the Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on the Inauguration of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation on Education to Achieve an ASEAN Caring and Sharing Community and Draft ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change.

The 16th ASEAN Summit, held in Hanoi, Vietnam in April 2010, focused on measures to enhance solidarity and cooperation within the group and to deepen ASEAN's ties with partners. The leaders pledged to effectively implement the bloc's cooperation pacts over the next five years.

In October 2010, leaders attending the 17th ASEAN Summit in Vietnam adopted several key documents on strengthening connectivity within the bloc, on the improvement of human resources development and on the protection of women and children.

At the 18th ASEAN Summit held in May 2011 in Jakarta, Indonesia, the leaders agreed and adopted three joint statements on "ASEAN Community in a Global Community of Nations", "Establishment of the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation" and "Enhancing Cooperation against Trafficking in Persons in Southeast Asia".

At the 19th ASEAN Summit held in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2011, the ASEAN leaders adopted the Bali Declaration on ASEAN Community in a Global Community of Nations, or the Bali Concord III, the Agreement of the Establishment of the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management, and the ASEAN Declaration on Unity in Diversity: Toward Strengthening the ASEAN Community.

At the 20th Summit held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in April 2012, the ASEAN leaders adopted four outcome documents, namely the Phnom Penh Agenda on ASEAN Community Building, the Phnom Penh Declaration on "ASEAN: One Community, One Destiny", the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Drug-Free ASEAN 2015 and the Global Movement of Moderates.

Three outcome documents were adopted in the 21st Summit held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in November 2012, namely the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, ASEAN Leaders' Statement on the Establishment of an ASEAN Regional Mine Action center and Bali Concord III Plan of Action. The leaders also committed to launching the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.

At the 22nd summit held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam in April 2013, the leaders agreed to push ahead with the ASEAN Roadmap and ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint, and to intensify regional and subregional efforts in order to realize the goal of establishing an ASEAN Community by the end of 2015. The ASEAN leaders also reached consensus on starting negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in May in Brunei.

The 23rd summit, also held in Bandar Seri Begawan in October, 2013, focused on ASEAN community building and a post-2015 vision for the group. ASEAN leaders adopted several documents, including the Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration on the ASEAN Community's Post-2015 Vision.

Leaders attending the 24th summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar reaffirmed their commitment to pushing ASEAN toward its integration deadline. The summit adopted the Nay Pyi Taw Declaration on Realization of the ASEAN Community in 2015.

The 25th summit, which was held in Nay Pyi Taw in November 2014, focused on ASEAN community building and a post-2015 vision for the group. ASEAN leaders adopted the Nay Pyi Taw Declaration on the ASEAN Community's Post 2015 Vision.

Leaders at the 26th summit held in Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi, Malaysia adopted the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on a People-Oriented, People-Centered ASEAN, a milestone in the history of the grouping, and the Langkawi Declaration on the Global Movement of Moderates as well as the Declaration on Institutionalizing the Resilience of ASEAN and its Communities and People to Disasters and Climate Change.

The ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.