Joint United Nations-Association of Southeast ASIAN Nations Press Statement

 

Following is the joint United Nations-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) press statement following the UN-ASEAN ministerial-level meeting in New York, 26 September:

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, serving as Chairman of ASEAN, and with the participation of Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN; Ali Abdussalam Treki, President of the sixty-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly; and Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, met at the United Nations Headquarters on 26 September 2009.  This meeting is an annual event which provides an opportunity for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers, the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General to exchange views on matters of mutual interest and represents the growing close cooperation between regional organizations and the United Nations.

The meeting was briefed by the ASEAN Chair on developments in ASEAN following the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter last December and on the convening of the fifteenth ASEAN Summit and related summits in Thailand next month, which will move ASEAN towards becoming a more integrated and interconnected Community.   The meeting was also briefed by the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General on latest developments in the United Nations as well as the priorities and expectations of this body during this session of the General Assembly.  The meeting welcomed the efforts undertaken in the area of reform of the United Nations and urged continued efforts, so that the United Nations can more effectively implement the United Nations Charter and address the global challenges facing the international community in cooperation with Member States and regional organizations.

The meeting stressed the importance of nurturing an effective partnership between ASEAN and the United Nations that will help both organizations address effectively the challenges affecting South-East Asia and the world.  The meeting recalled the Memorandum of Understanding on ASEAN-UN cooperation, which has provided a sound framework for enhanced cooperation, including the successful ongoing ASEAN-UN partnership in the area of disaster management, particularly in the wake of Cyclone Nargis.   There was recognition that further cooperation between ASEAN and the United Nations could be enhanced to address the various common global challenges.

The participants had a productive, frank and wide-ranging exchange of views on the key global and regional issues of common concern.   The meeting stressed the importance of such frank and comprehensive exchange of views, based on mutual respect, to promote progress towards the resolution of these issues, and called on the Secretariats of ASEAN and the United Nations to work towards the development of a strategy for further enhancing cooperation.

The meeting looked forward to the convening of the Third ASEAN-UN Summit in Viet Nam in 2010 which would help maintain strong momentum in the growing ASEAN-UN partnership.

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For information media • not an official record