Asian foreign ministers are meeting in the Philippine capital, Manila, for the annual Asean (Association of South East Asian Nations) summit.
Ministers from South-East Asian countries have reached agreement on a landmark draft charter.
The 10-nation group is working to draft Asean's first ever charter, which would turn the forum into an European Union-style rules-based body.
The document gives the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) a set of binding rules for the first time in the bloc's 40-year existence.
But there are divisions over how to tackle the issue of human rights.
The agreement comes after nearly two years of deliberations among members.
Some nations want to establish an Asean rights body but others - such as Burma - have fiercely opposed this.
It includes a contentious provision to set up a commission monitoring human rights in the region - despite strong misgivings from some Asean countries.
Opening the meeting, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo urged members to unite over the charter.
Credibility boost
"Our collective desire to bring social justice, economic opportunity and integrated security to the region is our common ground," she told the assembled foreign ministers.
With governments in the region running the gamut from fully-fledged democracies to a military dictatorship, finding consensus on a human rights commission was always going to be a tough sell.
Asean is hoping that the charter can be formally adopted at a summit in November.
Burma (Myanmar) - a country which has been heavily criticised for rights abuses in the past - had strongly opposed the commission right up to Monday's ministerial meeting in Manila.
'Frustration with Burma'
It eventually gave grudging 11th-hour approval in the face of clamour from other members.
The charter is intended to pave the way for economic integration by 2015. It would introduce rules and norms which all countries would have to adhere to, although how these rules would be enforced is not yet clear.
Diplomatic sources said Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam also had misgivings - fearing human rights probes could result in violations of the group's strict policy of non-interference in each others' affairs.
Some countries also want it to include a human rights body, but Burma is expected to block any such move.
However the charter is seen as crucial for giving Asean - previously regarded as a mere talk shop - credibility and bargaining power on the world stage.
In the past, Asean - which holds to a policy of non-interference in members' affairs - has faced criticism for failing to address human rights violations in Burma.
It will also help smooth the way for the group's aim of full economic integration by 2005.
But on Sunday, a number of Asean ministers had strong words for the military-ruled nation, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said.
The next step for the bloc - which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam - is to formally adopt the landmark charter at its summit in November.
"I sense there is impatience, there is frustration," he told journalists.
"So we urged Myanmar (Burma) in the spirit of Asean that they should accelerate the process of the roadmap to democracy.
"This will not only benefit the people of Myanmar, but our own credibility as Asean will be enhanced," he said.
The foreign ministers will also discuss issues such as terrorism, disaster management and how to keep the region free from nuclear weapons.
Later in the week, foreign ministers from the wider Asia-Pacific region will join the meeting for a security forum.
Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
