“Why Asia Needs a Pan-Asian Union for Economic and Political Cooperation”

Asia must unite for its common interest just as Europe did, suggests Dr S Faizi, an ecologist specialising in international environmental policy and UN environmental negotiator. Quoting Arnold Toynbee’s observation that Europe is technically a subcontinent of Asia, Faizi highlights that unlike Europe, Asia does not have a common platform for economic and political cooperation, despite being a continent facing several live hostilities, some of which are bilateral in nature. The article calls for Asia to develop its own pan-Asian Union, following the steps of the EU and two relatively more concrete economic groups in the east and west, namely the ASEAN and GCC respectively. Faizi outlines that a well-mandated regional organisation for Asia is necessary to promote political and economic alliance, bring stability to the region, and protect its vast resources and immense human talent. Furthermore, Faizi argues that Asia already has strong precedents that could be creatively applied to establish a pan Asian Union, and the democracies in Asia are on a trajectory towards maturity. Faizi urges the civil society, political movements, and the progressive media to take up the goal of an Asian Union on their agenda and build a people’s movement to make it a reality.