ASEAN's thirtieth year was marked by challenges on several fronts. ASEAN enlargement, the unprecedent scale of the burning in Kalimantan and the haze it sparked off and the regional economic crisis were the dominant concerns of the year. However, the practices and habits of consultation and cooperation ingrained by a generation of ASEAN involvement enabled member countries to rise to these challenges. Indeed, a greater degree of cohesion, particularly in the finance and environment areas resulted from the increased frequency of meetings and joint activities held to discuss and implement remedial programmes and actions.