2024 Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Agreement on the Movement of Natural Persons

2024 Protocol to Amend MNP Agreement

• ASEAN Documents
  • ASEAN Economic Community
    • ASEAN Free Trade Area
  • ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
    • Labour

See Article 11 of the 2012 ASEAN Agreement on the Movement of Natural Persons (MNP Agreement):

Article 11 ‘Dispute Settlement’:
“1. Member States shall endeavour to settle any differences arising out of the implementation of this Agreement through consultations.

2. A Member State shall not recourse to the ASEAN Protocol on Enhanced Dispute Settlement Mechanism, signed on 29 November 2004 in Vientiane, Lao PDR and amendments thereto, regarding a refusal to grant temporary entry or temporary stay under this Agreement unless: (a) the matter involves a pattern of practice on the part of the granting Member State; and (b) the natural persons affected have exhausted all available domestic remedies regarding this particular matter.”

The MNP Agreement is one of the ‘Covered Agreements’ pursuant to Article 1.1 of the 2019 ASEAN Protocol on Enhanced Dispute Settlement Mechanism read together with its Appendix 1. The 2019 Protocol will only apply with respect to new requests for consultations made on or after its entry into force (20 June 2022). The 2004 Protocol applies to all other disputes.

Secretary-General of ASEAN

ASEAN Legal Instruments

05/06/2024

Article 2 – Final Provisions
This Protocol shall enter into force 90 days after the date of signature of this Protocol.

2012 ASEAN Agreement on the Movement of Natural Persons

2015 ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025

ASEAN accessed on 19/01/2026