Timor Leste and The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 

In 2022 the young nation of Timor Leste was granted official observer status in ASEAN, meaning that in theory, they are members who can attend meetings and participate in initiatives without the title of an official member nation. In September of 2023, during the ASEAN summit in Jakarta, the Indonesian President encouraged the membership of Timor Leste and it is known that their membership is ‘crucial for the growth of Timor Leste's economy,’ as emulated by Xanana Gusmao, so it leaves us wondering why they have yet to become a full member. The reasoning behind the nation not being awarded full membership is given to its capacity to have substantive knowledge and expertise to act as a member and host for ASEAN. To be fully aligned with ASEAN Timor Leste still needs to expand cooperation with ASEAN member states beyond what it has with current neighbors. The denial in membership is reflective of their diverse income, namely their reliance on oil and gas revenue, their high level of unemployment, their low level of education, and ultimately the risk they pose to the stability of ASEAN Timor Leste, in an effort to achieve membership, has appointed a vice minister for ASEAN affairs and prepared a plan for actioning the Roadmap. To meet qualifying status Timor Leste has taken steps to create institutional change. The state has started building essential infrastructure, improved hospitality and conference centers, and various other initiatives to aid the development of the nation.

Their level of community policing does attend to some issues regarding organized crime, however, as a whole they need to radically address transnational crime across their borders and concerns for human trafficking. Similarly, the level and quality of education is a concern. There is an evident lack of resources and expertise, and such disparities are highlighted between the urban and rural areas. Contributing and attending ASEAN meetings will incur major expenses, estimated up to $ 2.5 million each year. This can be viewed as a fiscal concern given the current economic state of the country. However, Timor Leste has confidently expressed that they should not face monetary issues in membership. Jose Ramos Horta aspires to join ASEAN in 2025, allowing pertinent time to meet the goals and milestones outlined by ASEAN leadership. The country is still endeavoring to secure full membership of the association, however, the process appears to be quite tedious despite its current status as an observer.