Before and during the Second World War, the southeast region of Asia suffered the economic and political consequences of repeated colonialism, both European and Japanese. At the end of the war, it confronted problems of nation-building, the ravages of poverty and economic backwardness, and the pressure to align with one great power or another during the Cold War. This was a recipe for conflict, which the countries of Southeast Asia could ill afford. Efforts at Asian and Third World unity, such as the Bandung Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement, were ineffective in establishing the conventions for informal cooperation and interaction.

What is the circle symbolic of in the ASEAN flag?

Unity of ASEAN

In the ASEAN logo, the ten stalks of paddy (rice) represent the ten Southeast Asian countries bound together in friendship and solidarity. The circle symbolizes the unity of ASEAN.