Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to Strengthen Ties with ASEAN

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, 

Strengthen Ties with ASEAN

Link to photos.

ASEANJakarta, INDONESIAThursday, 3rd December 2015

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) expressed its strong commitment to work closely with ASEAN through the Secretariat-to-Secretariat level and beyond.  This was conveyed by H.E. Dmitry Mezentsev, Secretary-General of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN yesterday.

Secretary-General Minh welcomed Secretary-General Mezentsev and highlighted the importance of continued support from Dialogue Partners, friends and other external partners, including from the Member States of the SCO, for ASEAN in this endeavour.

Secretary-General Mezentsev thanked Secretary-General Minh and looked forward to working closely with ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Secretariat especially in areas of common interests such as counter-terrorism, illegal drug trafficking and illegal immigration. Possible cooperation in the areas of economy, finance and environment were also brought up by Secretary-General Mezentsev. He informed Secretary-General Minh on future collaborations between SCO and some ASEAN Member States and expressed SCO’s desire to further forge stronger ties with ASEAN in these areas.

Further, Secretary-General Mezentsev informed Secretary-General Minh about various upcoming SCO summits and forums in 2016 and encouraged Secretary-General Minh and ASEAN families to attend the events. Both also exchanged views on regional issues of common interest and concern.

Permanent Representative of Brunei Darussalam to ASEAN Bids Farewell

Permanent Representative of Brunei Darussalam to ASEAN 
Bids Farewell

Link to photo.

ASEAN

JAKARTA, 

Tuesday, 1st December 2015

Ambassador Emaleen Abdul Rahman Teo, the outgoing Permanent Representative of Brunei Darussalam to ASEAN, called on the Secretary-General of ASEAN H.E. Le Luong Minh today to bid farewell.  She completed her term in November.

SG Minh thanked Ambassador Emaleen for her dedication, initiatives, contribution and service towards the work of ASEAN, most notably during her chairmanship of the Committee of the Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) in 2013.  The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the Ambassador and the Government of Brunei Darussalam for their continued support and assistance to the ASEAN Secretariat, in particular in strengthening the Secretariat.  Both SG Minh and Ambassador Emaleen shared the view that the strengthening of ASEAN Secretariat is crucial to support ASEAN in achieving its goals as set in the ASEAN Community Blueprints for the next decade. 

Further, SG Minh highlighted that with the adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the three ASEAN Community Blueprints by the ASEAN Leaders at the recent Summit in Kuala Lumpur, and with the establishment of the ASEAN Community by the end of this year, the expectations on ASEAN would become greater.  In this regard, it is important for all measures under the three Blueprints to be implemented effectively in timely manner.  SG Minh also mentioned that in two years, ASEAN will celebrate its 50^th anniversary.  ASEAN would have another big task to prepare for its golden age celebration.

In expressing his best wishes to the Ambassador, SG Minh hoped that Ambassador Emaleen would be able to continue to give her valuable support to the ASEAN Secretariat in her new assignment as the Permanent Secretary of Brunei Darussalam. 

Turkic Council to Explore Cooperation with ASEAN

Turkic Council to Explore Cooperation with ASEAN

ASEAN

Jakarta, INDONESIA
Wednesday, 25th November 2015

Link to photos.

H.E. Ramil Hasanov, Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) paid a courtesy call on H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN yesterday at the ASEAN Secretariat.

Secretary-General Minh briefed his counterpart from the Turkic Council on the recently announced ASEAN Community at the 27th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, including the signing of ASEAN Community Vision 2025 which articulates ASEAN’s goals and aspirations to realise further consolidation, integration and stronger cohesiveness as a Community. He also highlighted the importance of ASEAN being an outward-looking and global player through enhancing dialogue and cooperation with external partners including the Turkic Council.

Meanwhile, Secretary-General Hasanov conveyed the Turkic Council’s interest in forging closer relations with ASEAN, including through Secretariat-to-Secretariat engagement and in areas such as business and investment, counter-terrorism, tourism, education and information technology, among others.  Both sides recognised the shared values and common objectives in maintaining peace in the region through regional cooperation and agreed to focus on specific areas identified through the focal points from both secretariats. 

The Turkic Council is an intergovernmental organisation established in 2009 with the aim of promoting comprehensive cooperation among Turkic Speaking States and to promote effective regional and bilateral cooperation in all areas of common interest. Its four Member States are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey.

ASEAN Heads of Civil Service Retreat

ASEAN Heads of Civil Service Retreat

Link to photos.

ASEAN

Cyberjaya-Selangor, MALAYSIA 

Tuesday, 17th November 2015 

The ASEAN Heads of Civil Service signed today the Putrajaya Joint Declaration on ASEAN Post-2015 Priorities Towards an ASEAN Citizen-Centric Civil Service. The Declaration embodies ASEAN’s recognition of the need for civil service reform and greater engagement of the peoples to meet their needs, welfare and expectations as a people-oriented and people-centered ASEAN Community. The Declaration also acknowledged the importance of good governance in promoting sustainable development in ASEAN.  It stipulates concrete actions to be taken by ASEAN Member States collectively and individually including strengthening good governance, integrity and cooperation in civil service, capacity building, technical cooperation, prioritising good regulatory practices (GRP) and promoting the highest standards of professionalism, efficiency, effectiveness, participatory approach, responsiveness, transparency and accountability in the civil service.

Prior to the signing ceremony, the ASEAN Heads of Civil Service Retreat was held on 17 November 2015 in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. The Retreat was officiated by H.E. Tan Sri Dr. Ali Hamsa, Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia and was chaired by H.E. Alicia dela-Rosa Bala, the 18^th ACCSM Chair and Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission of the Philippines. The Retreat deliberated on strategies to heighten the ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) in post-2015. Actions to strengthen the institutional arrangement of ACCSM were deliberated, including the adoption of new themes for the six ASEAN Resource Centres (ARCs) notably: Managing Civil Service Competency (for the ARC led by Brunei Darussalam), Public Service Delivery (Cambodia), ASEAN Pool of Experts on Civil Service (Indonesia), Strategic Collaboration through National Blue Ocean Strategy (Malaysia), ASEAN Leaders in Strategic Human Resource Programme – Building a Future-Ready Public Service (Singapore), and Supporting Public Service Reform (Viet Nam). The current themes of the other four ARCs are Civil Service Performance Management (Lao PDR), Training for Trainers for Civil Service (Myanmar), Examination and Testing (Philippines), and Leadership Development (Thailand).

The ASEAN Heads of Civil Service agreed to rebrand the ACCSM to become “ASEAN Cooperation on Civil Service Matters” to appropriately reflect the collaboration and coordination among ASEAN Member States. They also agreed to continue the ASEAN Heads of Civil Service Retreat biennially in future, and to streamline meetings under ACCSM for efficiency. Strategies to promote ASEAN awareness among civil servants and inter-sectoral cooperation on cross-cutting issues of civil service and good governance were deliberated. The ASEAN Heads of Civil Service also agreed to expand the ACCSM cooperation with ASEAN Dialogue Partners. Currently, the ACCSM is cooperating with the Plus Three Countries through joint projects in the ACCSM Plus Three Work Plan 2012-2015.

In conjunction with the Retreat, the ASEAN Civil Service Games are held from 16 to 19 November 2015 participated in by over 600 civil servants from ASEAN Member States in friendly yet competitive sports of golf, badminton, futsal, table tennis, and bowling.  Games were held in various sport centers in Klang Valley. The ASEAN Civil Service Games aimed to strengthen networking and solidarity among civil servants across the region and to build their awareness of ASEAN and sense of regionality.

As part of the week-long series of ASEAN civil service events, the ASEAN Civil Service Innovation Conference was held with the theme “Towards an ASEAN Citizen-Centric Civil Service” will be held from 18 to19 November 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Conference will provide a platform for exchange of views and information on strategies to strengthen civil service performance and quality of service delivery to the people. Jointly organised by the Public Service Department of Malaysia and the Razak School of Government, the Conference is expected to be attended by around 300 participants from the region.

ASEAN Facilitates Business in the Region

ASEAN Facilitates Business in the Region

Link to photos.

ASEAN - Business

Ho Chi Minh City, VIETNAM 

Monday, 16th November 2015

The second ASEAN Business Seminars and Business Policy Dialogues were held to promote awareness and understanding of the ASEAN Economic Community’s (AEC) key initiatives to the business community on 9-11 November in Ho Chi Minh City.

Two additional information packs covering the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) and  Establishing A Company in ASEAN Member States (AMS) were shared and validated with the private sector at this seminar. The objective was to provide information materials on these initiatives and to better explain to the private sector how such initiatives are benefiting businesses including through facilitating the movement of goods across the region.

The private sector also appreciated information on starting a business with the mapping of the registration processes in selected AMS namely, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam.  The processes of starting a business were presented and participants discussed the need for the streamlining the processes as they recognised the importance of improved rules and regulations towards reduction in time and cost of doing and starting a business in the region, particularly for SMEs.

Mr. Le Manh Hung, Deputy Director-General of Agency for Enterprise Development of Viet Nam, in his opening remarks highlighted the importance of facilitating SMEs’ access to information on the AEC. He also called for similar activities to be conducted more frequently to increase ASEAN SMEs’ awareness as a step towards enhancing their participation in the AEC.

Mr. Vo Tan Thanh, Vice President of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), urged the ASEAN private sector to be more proactive in exploring the information to enrich their awareness on the AEC and stated that the VCCI hopes to work with the ASEAN Secretariat and in parallel to hold various workshops and seminars to disseminate information on AEC.

It was noted that a number of SME participants still have little knowledge of ASEAN initiatives. Such lack of understanding and information may hinder them from benefiting from ASEAN integration initiatives under the AEC and the participants welcomed seminars and dialogues as well as the information packs on AEC to build awareness among the business community.

The seminar’s participants included key representatives from chambers of commerce and business associations from AMS to learn, exchange and update their understanding of ASEAN. They also discussed how these business associations could disseminate the information to their domestic networks and constituents.  The Seminar on AEC Information for Business and the ASEAN SME Policy Dialogue were co-organised by the ASEAN Secretariat and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), with support from the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.

Myanmar Elections and ASEAN Summit Top November "ASEAN Today"

Myanmar Elections and ASEAN Summit Top November "ASEAN Today"

ASEAN - Media

Jakarta, INDONESIA 

Tuesday, 10th November 2015 

Results of the 8 November general election in Myanmar top this month's edition of "ASEAN Today." Besides the anticipated vote, preparation for the 27th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur is also part of the programme. Raissa Chentami of The Indonesia Channel anchors the programme from Jakarta. She also reports on the return of a rare animal to its Indonesian roots.

This is the 47th episode in the informative and entertaining series now in its fourth year of broadcast, and can be viewed on the Internet (https://youtu.be/Swmb_mRFA5Y) as well as through ASEAN broadcasters including The Indonesia Channel and Vietnam's VOV-TV.

"ASEAN Today" is a joint production of the ASEAN Secretariat and The Indonesia Channel, supported by AirAsia.  Some materials are provided by broadcasters in member countries. Check local listings for broadcast times. 

EU-ASEAN POLICY DIALOGUE ON HUMAN RIGHTS

EU-ASEAN POLICY DIALOGUE ON HUMAN RIGHTS

AICHR, ACWC, ACW, ACMW, ASEC VISIT TO BRUSSELS,

19/23 OCTOBER 2015

Joint Press Release

ASEAN

Brussels, BELGIUM

Tuesday, 27th October 2015

Link to photo

On 19 and 20 October 2015, the EU and ASEAN held a first policy dialogue on Human Rights as part of a one-week visit in Brussels of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), the ASEAN Commission on the promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW), the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Migrant Workers (ACMW) and the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC).

This policy dialogue results from the agreement of EU and ASEAN Ministers at the 20th EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting held in Brussels on 23 July 2014, to promote respect for human rights and the rule of law through exchange of good practices, information, dialogues, seminars and capacity building initiatives. In doing so, it built on the study visits to EU undertaken by the AICHR and ACWC in 2011 and 2013 as well as visits of the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Stavros Lambrinidis, to Jakarta in 2013 and 2014.

The first policy dialogue allowed for open and constructive exchanges on themes of common interest, including recent human rights developments in the EU and in ASEAN, the rights of migrants, the rights of women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons, interaction with civil society, corporate social responsibility as well as economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development. Both sides saw the merits of encouraging dialogue and exchange of experience between civil society organizations from the two regions. They exchanged documents on their respective work. The ASEAN Delegation had an exchange of views with Members of the European Parliament and attended a seminar on “pan European human rights mechanisms” hosted by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the participation of representatives from the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The ASEAN Delegation also met the Brussels-based Human Rights and Democracy NGO network and engaged with European businesses on Corporate Social responsibility, in a round table hosted by The Shift and CSR Europe. Site visits of Belgian institutions dealing with migrants, persons with disabilities and equal opportunities completed the one-week programme.

Ending this week of dialogue and events, the two sides expressed satisfaction on their mutual engagement and agreed to explore further regular dialogues on human rights issues of mutual interest. Some of the potential areas for bilateral and multilateral cooperation identified include: corporate social responsibility and human rights, strengthening accessibility for persons with disabilities, child protection systems, gender mainstreaming, promoting economic rights of women, violence against women and children, rights of older persons and trafficking in persons. The two sides also looked forward to further exchanges on freedom of expression and how it deals with the advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred and the incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.

ASEAN and Korea Convene Connectivity Forum

ASEAN, Korea Convene Connectivity Forum

ASEAN

Seoul, KOREA
Thursday, 22nd October 2015

The ASEAN-Korea Centre hosted the 3^rd ASEAN Connectivity Forum entitled
“ASEAN-Korea Partnership for ASEAN Economic Community Building.” The forum, jointly 

hosted with the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), took place today at the Convention 

Center of the Federation of Korean Industries. Through this forum, delegates from 10 

ASEAN Member States introduced infrastructure projects and policy directions in the fields 

of transport, energy, and ICT (Information and Communications Technology) to Korean 

business people.

The delegates also provided latest information on the current status and challenges of 

projects being implemented under the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC). 

One-on-one business meetings were conducted to enable network building among the 

Korean business community, ASEAN government organizations and experts in the 

infrastructure field.

H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN, attended the Forum for the first time. H.E. Hasnudin Hamzah, Chair of ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC), H.E. Cho Tae-yul, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea, and Mr. Seung-Cheol Lee, Vice Chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) also attended.

The forum consisted of sessions on “Master Plan for ASEAN Connectivity – current status 

and challenges” and on “Financial Solutions for ASEAN Connectivity” where experts from 

ASEAN Secretariat, UNESCAP, ERIA, ADB, Korea EXIM Bank presented and discussed on each theme.

The amount of investment required for infrastructure projects in ASEAN is the second 

largest in the world after the Middle East. McKinsey, a global consulting company, assessed that USD 3.3 trillion in investments will be required in transport, water, energy and ICT areas in the ASEAN countries between now and 2030. When ASEAN Economic Community 

consisting of about 620 million people and a combined total GDP of UDS2.4 trillion is 

established, enormous opportunities for large-scale infrastructure projects will be created. 

Against this backdrop, the forum will be the only venue in Korea where latest information 

related to ASEAN Connectivity are shared and one-on-one business meeting takes place.

###

ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity is a concept that envisions a well-connected ASEAN to bring the peoples, goods, services and capital closer together. Adopted at the 17^th ASEAN Summit in 2010, the master plan has made continuous progress to enhance physical 

connectivity, institutional connectivity and people-to-people connectivity.

ASEAN Launches Election Observation Workshop Report

ASEAN

Jakarta, INDONESIA

Monday, 20th October 2015 

ASEAN, through the initiative of the Philippines and in cooperation with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), launched the report on ASEAN Election Observation Workshop yesterday at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. A copy of the report was symbolically handed to H.E. Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee, Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

The report records the proceedings of the Election Observation Workshop held in Manila, Philippines on 24-25 June 2015. Officials of election management bodies and Ministries of Foreign Affairs of ASEAN Member States learned about election observation missions of various regional organizations like the Organization of  American States, the European Union and African Union in the workshop. Other stakeholders, including a civil society organization, also shared their experiences on election observation.

In his keynote speech, Dr. Nur Hassan Wirajuda, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia and a member of the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security, International IDEA and Kofi Annan Foundation, underscored the core values of the ASEAN Political-Security Community -- promotion of democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights, good governance and peaceful conflict resolution. “I hope the report and recommendations of the workshop present a strategy that will deepen democracy and improve the integrity of national elections in ASEAN.”

Philippine Ambassador to ASEAN H.E. Elizabeth P. Buensuceso hailed the workshop, the first of its kind to ever be held in ASEAN, as an excellent example of how to realize a truly people-centered ASEAN which will be the focus of the ASEAN Vision 2025 - the new roadmap that will chart the direction of ASEAN in the next ten years. She said that the workshop underscored the symbiotic relationship of governments and civil society to enable them to deliver credible, satisfactory and legitimate election results for the benefit of the people. “Member States should consciously include and harness the valuable contribution that civil society can make in the common vision of ASEAN integration and community building,” she added.

For her part, Ms. Leena Rikkila Tamang, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, International IDEA said that “it is a fundamental principle of IDEA’s approach that building of democratic institutions within any community comes from within that community and cannot be imposed from outside, while the sharing of experience among peers can enrich and inform the process.”

Former Minister Nur Hassan Wirajuda, Ambassador Buensuceso, DSG Arthakaivalvatee, and Philippines Election Commissioner Luie Tito F. Guia officiated the event which was witnessed by members of the ASEAN Committee of Representatives, other Ambassadors and diplomats based in Jakarta, officials of the International IDEA, media and other civil society representatives. International IDEA, an intergovernmental organization that has engaged the ASEAN Secretariat through the Inter Regional Dialogue on Democracy, lent its expertise to the workshop. The Mission of the Republic of Korea to ASEAN provided support to the workshop. 

###

Link to Remarks of Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso

Link to Remarks of Dr Hassan Wirajuda

Link to Remarks of Leena Rikkila Tamang

Link to Remarks of Mr. Sang-beom Lim

Report Highlights

• Respect to the state sovereignty, and adherence to the law of the host country, respecting the internationally recognised global standards for domestic election monitoring, and the global principles and codes of conduct for observers.
• Electoral integrity is a fundamental element of democracy; electoral observers can play a vital role, raising voter confidence, reassurance, providing credible and essential feedbacks before, during the elections, and after the elections are over.
• EMB independence, voter registration, media freedom, freedom of movement, women’s participation, access for disabled people, minority participation, and use of money in campaigns and political financing are all key issues which may be addressed during electoral cycle implementation and for recognition of credible elections by regional and international community.

Key recommendations

• Developing and strengthening ASEAN Network of Election Monitoring Bodies
• ASEAN EMBs, International IDEA and dialogue partners should open dialogue and engage the AMS High Level Task Force on ASEAN Community Vision 2025 to get election observation expressed within the ASEAN political cooperation agenda.
• Based on the tentative dates declared by various AMS, Myanmar General Elections on 8 November 2015, the Philippines Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections on 9 May 2016, Indonesian General Elections 2019, and Thailand General Elections sometime in 2017 (undecided) present opportunities to ASEAN and IDEA in putting together a regional framework for elections observation as trials and learning opportunities.
• Asian Engagement with other EMBs, IDEA could facilitate an Asia Regional experience sharing with other EMBs sometime in 2016, which could provide opportunity for the ASEAN region to both share and learn from other Asian experiences on election observation.
• Engaging ASEAN & Asian Civil Society, IDEA and ASEAN Secretariat can gradually facilitate the participation as dialogue partners of various groups working at regional, sub-regional and national level for the electoral rights of vulnerable groups, minorities, women, and physically challenged people, ensuring that the right to vote is upheld with the utmost respect by EMBs and the legal framework developed is reflective of the inclusive goal of the ASEAN Political Security Community.
• Resource persons encouraged ASEAN EMBs and host governments to be open to the possibility of having domestic and international election observation missions (EOMs) and not to view these missions as impinging on sovereignty and interfering in internal affairs of the state.

ASEAN Supports Efforts for Peace, Stability and Prosperity in the Korean Peninsula and the Region

ASEAN Supports Efforts for
Peace, Stability and Prosperity
in the Korean Peninsula and the Region

ASEAN

Jakarta, INDONESIA

Tuesday, 13th October 2015

ASEAN supports efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula which will contribute to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in Northeast Asia and the wider region. This position was conveyed by Secretary-General of ASEAN H.E. Le Luong Minh to the Vice Chairman of the Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation (CPUP) of the Republic of Korea (ROK), H.E. Chung Chong Wook, during a courtesy call yesterday.

Vice Chairman Chung briefed Secretary-General Minh on the work of CPUP which was established in 2014 by President Park Geun-hye to prepare a comprehensive and systematic plan for unification of the Korean Peninsula.

Secretary-General Minh reiterated ASEAN’s support for the Trust-Building Process on the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative in promoting lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula and cooperation and trust in Northeast Asia. ASEAN called for the early resumption of Six-Party Talks which would pave the way for the complete and verifiable de-nuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.

Secretary-General Minh and Vice Chairman Chung discussed the progress in ASEAN-ROK relations and noted that both sides are committed to further strengthening the strategic partnership as agreed at the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan last year. Secretary General Minh also noted that the ROK has been an active Dialogue Partner in ASEAN-led frameworks such as the ASEAN Regional Forum and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus which aims at promoting peace and stability in the region.

Further, SG Minh briefed Vice Chairman Chung on recent developments in ASEAN, including preparations for the formal establishment of the ASEAN Community at the end of this year and formulation of a new vision for the next 10 years.

ASEAN Strengthens Competencies in Consumer Protection Measures

ASEAN Strengthens Competencies 

in Consumer Protection Measures

ASEAN

Manila, PHILIPPINES 

Wednesday, 7th October 2015 

The Second Train-the-Trainer Workshop to Strengthen Technical Competency on Consumer Protection in ASEAN was convened on 5-7 October in Manila, the Philippines. This workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of government officers to develop and deliver training programs focusing on the technical requirements in three key areas, namely product safety and labeling; phone, internet and e-commerce; and healthcare services. The First Train-the-Trainer Workshop, which covered the areas of consumer credit and banking, environment, and professional services, took place in Ha Noi, Viet Nam on 31 August – 2 September.

Following a comprehensive assessment of the needs and priorities in six ASEAN Member States (AMS), the project consultants lead by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) revealed that there is an overall need to strengthen the internal capacity in AMS including a thorough understanding of the national laws and procedures, as well as the need to resolve consumer issues through mediation, arbitration and the design of appropriate remedies and sanctions. The assessment was a follow-up from the “Roadmapping Capacity Building Needs in Consumer Protection in ASEAN” report conducted in 2011 which highlighted the human and institutional capacity gaps and recommendations for consumer protection agencies in AMS.

Atty Victorio Mario A Dimagiba, Undersecretary of the Consumer Protection Group, Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines, delivered the opening remarks and encouraged participants to absorb the learning, information, concepts and strategies delivered throughout the three-day Workshop in order to enhance the enforcement and complaints-handling mechanisms of consumer protection. At the same time, he emphasised the importance of ensuring the utilization of the modules and concepts at the national level.

The three breakout sessions focused on each of the three core areas, and deliberated on the existing legal framework, consumer protection specific issues, pre and post market interventions and the redress mechanisms to be enacted. A brief country report was also presented by Member States based on a set of guiding questions that were drawn for each key area.

The product safety and labeling module covers elements such as the mandatory specific safety standards, product liability, and private law regimes, as well as the various government intervention measures starting with product surveillance to issuing bans and undertaking product recalls. The phone, internet services and ecommerce module touches on among others misleading conduct, unfair contract terms and cross-border purchases, as well as the strategies to resolve these issues. The healthcare services module focuses on addressing the issues concerning the availability, affordability and accessibility of healthcare goods and services.

The participants recognised the importance of ensuring the utilization of the modules and agreed to explore several avenues including translating the modules into local languages, delivering local seminars/ workshop, and developing training programs catered to the needs of their respective agencies/ ministries by using the modules as a basis. 

The Workshop was supported by the ASEAN Australian Development Cooperation Program Phase II (AADCP II) and facilitated by the ASEAN Secretariat, UNCTAD and consultants. Further information on ASEAN consumer protection initiatives may be found on the ASEAN.

SPECIAL ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING ON THE RISE OF RADICALISATION AND VIOLENT EXTREMISM (SAMMRRVE)

CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT

SPECIAL ASEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING ON THE RISE OF RADICALISATION AND VIOLENT EXTREMISM (SAMMRRVE)

ASEAN

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Friday, 2nd October 2015

1.            ASEAN Ministers overseeing the responsibilities of combating transnational crime and Representatives fromBrunei Darussalam, Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam met in Kuala Lumpur on 2 October 2015 for the convening of the Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Rise of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism(SAMMRRVE). The Meeting was also attended by the Deputy-Secretary General of ASEAN.

2.            The Meeting was presided over by the Hon. Dato’ Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs, Malaysia. The purpose of the Meeting was to provide a platform for ASEAN Member States to exchange experiences, views and ideas on the best practices in handling the issues of radicalisation and violent extremism, particularly in Southeast Asia. The holding of this meeting  is consonant with the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2178 adopted on 24 September 2014 which requires all United Nations Member States to take concrete steps to  address the threats posed by  Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) by building community resilience in countering violent extremism to prevent terrorism.

3.            The Meeting deliberated on three (3) main issues, namely, (i) the Challenges in Dealing with Radicalisation and Violent Extremism; (ii) Rehabilitation/ Reintegration; and (iii) Regional Cooperation to Counter Radicalisation and Violent Extremism.

4.            The Meeting noted the challenges and the concrete measures taken by the respective ASEAN Member States in dealing with the aspects of radicalisation and violent extremism encompassing promulgation of new laws, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes and activities to engage as well as to create awareness among civil society, the private sector and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

5.            The Meeting further noted the presentations by the representatives from ASEAN Member States on their experiences, methods and approaches to the rehabilitation and reintegration into society of radicalised or extremist individuals.

6.            The Meeting has resolved to:

Call upon ASEAN Member States to speak up against and reject extremism and support moderation in line with the Langkawi Declaration on the Global Movement of the Moderates adopted on 27 April 2015.The Langkawi Declaration aims to promote moderation and tolerance as core values for the region and its peoples to ensure that it would continue to be a peaceful and prosperous region; Counter radicalisation and violent extremism in all forms and manifestations that lead to terrorism, including preventing radicalisation, financing, recruitment and mobilisation of individuals into terrorist groups.   Place strong emphasis on the aspect of deradicalisation in rehabilitation and reintegration programs as part of comprehensive measures in countering terrorism, besides applying force or punitive measures, so as to ensure that radicalised or extremist individuals are ready to reintegrate into society as well as to prevent ‘relapse’ or their return to militant/terrorist activities; Conduct analyses and studies on the factors, including root causes, that create a conducive environment for the spread of radicalisation and violent extremism in Southeast Asia with a view to assisting ASEAN Member States by providing them with a better understanding to effectively address both issues that could lead to terrorism; Develop programmes to counter violent extremism that build trust and strengthen cooperation between communities vulnerable to radicalisation and the Police. These initiatives might focus on community-police relations such as through community policing. Additionally, ASEAN Member States should also develop more community-based approaches to countering radicalisation and violent extremism; Develop and implement, together with relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies, comprehensive regional communication campaigns to counter terrorist narratives through all information and communication technologies aimed at denying radicals and extremist proponents the means and opportunities to pursue extremist/terrorist activities and promote their misconstrued ideologies; Strengthen cooperation with ASEAN Dialogue Partners, and related International Organisations through exchange of experiences, views and ideas including best practices in handling the issues of radicalisation and violent extremism.

The Meeting appreciated the initiative of the Government of Malaysia in convening the Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Rise of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism (SAMMRRVE).