Exciting news, although that whole Myanmar problem is still to be resolved. Some ASEAN nations, like the Philippines, claim that they will have trouble ratifying the charter because of Myanmar's current, um, indiscretions.

Maybe ASEAN is actually, finally, going to turn into something real. Gee, it's a good thing that the U.S. has stayed engaged with ASEAN like China has done. Oh, ooops, the U.S. seems to have forgotten all about ASEAN.

Anyway, what can we really learn from ASEAN's example? The answer comes in the text of the charter itself. If you've never read a treaty before, I recommend this one. Great traditional format and language.

Moreover, young lawyers often ask me how to draft a contract. One of the favorite questions is "What am I supposed to do with this 'Recitals' section?" Well, kids, look no further than this treaty. The Preamble on pages one and two is classic, and you know this stuff never goes out of style. After noting who are the signatories, the document gets into a lovely descriptive introduction:

NOTING with satisfaction the significant achievements and expansion of ASEAN since its establishment in Bangkok through the promulgation of The ASEAN Declaration;

RECALLING the decisions to establish an ASEAN Charter in the Vientiane Action Programme, the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Charter and the Cebu Declaration on the Blueprint of the ASEAN Charter;

MINDFUL of the existence of mutual interests and interdependence among the peoples and Member States of ASEAN which are bound by geography, common objectives and shared destiny;

INSPIRED by and united under One Vision, One Identity and One Caring and Sharing Community;

UNITED by a common desire and collective will to live in a region of lasting peace, security and stability, sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and social progress, and to promote our vital interests, ideals and aspirations;

RESPECTING the fundamental importance of amity and cooperation, and the principles of sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, non-interference, consensus and unity in diversity;

ADHERING to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance, respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

RESOLVED to ensure sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations and to place the well-being, livelihood and welfare of the peoples at the centre of the ASEAN community building process;

CONVINCED of the need to strengthen existing bonds of regional solidarity to realise an ASEAN Community that is politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible in order to effectively respond to current and future challenges and opportunities;

COMMITTED to intensifying community building through enhanced regional cooperation and integration, in particular by establishing an ASEAN Community comprising the ASEAN Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, as provided for in the Bali Declaration of ASEAN Concord II;

HEREBY DECIDE to establish, through this Charter, the legal and institutional framework for ASEAN,

AND TO THIS END, the Heads of State or Government of the Member States of ASEAN, assembled in Singapore on the historic occasion of the 40th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN, have agreed to this Charter.

Look at those paragraph headers! Breathtaking! Makes you want to run out and join the Foreign Ministry, doesn't it?