SINGAPORE, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Heads of state or government of the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered here Tuesday for the regional grouping's 13th summit, and signed the ASEAN Charter and other documents.

The Charter will transform ASEAN into a more effective and rules-based and rules-bound organization, and pave the way for ASEAN's closer integration.

The 55-article ASEAN Charter is expected to serve as a legal and institutional framework, as well as an inspiration for ASEAN to meet future challenges and opportunities. ASEAN is committed to narrowing the development gap and to advance ASEAN integration through building an ASEAN Community to further peace, progress and prosperity of its peoples.

The Charter shall be subject to ratification by all ASEAN member states in accordance with their respective internal procedures.

The theme of the summit is "One ASEAN at the Heart of Dynamic Asia."

This year's summit coincides with a significant milestone in ASEAN's development, its 40th Anniversary.

Also signed by the leaders at the summit were:

-- The Declaration on the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint,

-- The ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Sustainability, and

-- The ASEAN Declaration on the 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 3rd Session of the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP) to the Kyoto Protocol.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.