In 2015 the ten nations that make up the Association of Southeast Asian nations have pledged to unite as a single regional market and production base.
The goal is to create a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labor and the flow of capital.
Asia Calling, an Asia-wide television and radio programme, hosted a debate that brought together leaders from their fields across the region to discuss the whether the union will benefit the people living in the ASEAN region.