Statement by Co-Chairs of Third Association of Southeast

 

Asian Nations-United Nations Summit

 

The following statement was issued by the Co-Chairs of the Third Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-United Nations Summit, 29 October, Hanoi, Viet Nam:

We, the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Secretary-General of the United Nations met on 29 October 2010 in Hanoi, Viet Nam.

The Third ASEAN-UN Summit was co-chaired by the ASEAN Chairman, Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of Viet Nam, and Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The Third ASEAN-UN Summit was attended by His Majesty, Haji Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Indonesia, Bouasone Bouphavanh, Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Dato’ Sri Mohamad Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia, Thein Sen, Prime Minister of Myanmar, Benigno S. Aquino III, President of the Philippines, Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, and Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prime Minister of Thailand.  Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN, was also in attendance.

ASEAN-United Nations Cooperation

Recalling the First ASEAN-UN Summit in Bangkok on 12 February 2000, and the Second ASEAN-UN Summit in New York on 27 September 2005, the meeting welcomed developments in the ASEAN-UN partnership since then, including the granting of observer status to ASEAN at the United Nations General Assembly in 2006 and the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between ASEAN and the United Nations on ASEAN-UN Cooperation in 2007.

Welcoming the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter, the United Nations looked forward to supporting ASEAN community-building in all three pillars through appropriate steps, including those outlined in the Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on the road map for an ASEAN Community, and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.

The meeting commended the successful operation of the ASEAN-led mechanism and the Tripartite Core Group, comprising the Government of Myanmar, ASEAN and the United Nations, in response to Cyclone Nargis. The meeting was briefed by the leader of Myanmar’s delegation on the recent developments in the country on the eve of the 7 November 2010 elections.  The Secretary-General of the United Nations also briefed the meeting on his good offices, stressing the need for a credible democratic transition and national reconciliation, including the holding of free, fair and inclusive elections.

Global Financial Crisis, Climate Change and Food and Energy Security

The meeting expressed concern on the impact of the global financial crisis on the most vulnerable sectors of society and agreed to work together on social protection policies and programmes.  The meeting agreed that the financial crisis should not affect the implementation of international commitments on financing for development, nor lead to the adoption of trade-distorting and protectionist measures.  The United Nations welcomed ASEAN’s continuing efforts to establish the ASEAN Economic Community and pursue free trade arrangements/comprehensive economic partnerships with Dialogue Partners.

The meeting stressed the importance of addressing climate change and welcomed progress made by ASEAN towards achieving priorities set out in Bali Action Plan.  The meeting looked forward to a successful conclusion of the sixteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Cancun, Mexico.

The meeting agreed that food security challenges should be addressed holistically in conjunction with natural resource management including water resources.  The meeting further agreed to explore ways to promote energy cooperation to ensure greater security and sustainability of energy.  The United Nations will support ASEAN’s efforts to promote the development of centres for research and development on renewable energy in the region.

Millennium Development Goals

The meeting noted with satisfaction that ASEAN Member States are on track to attaining many of the Millennium Development Goals.  The United Nations welcomed the adoption of a road map for the attainment of the Goals in ASEAN.  The meeting also welcomed the UN report “Striving Together:  ASEAN & the UN” and continuing close cooperation between ASEAN and UN agencies working through the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) and the Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) in the attainment of the Goals.  Further, the meeting emphasized the importance of closing development gaps in the region and welcomed the UN’s contribution to the implementation of the Second Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan (2009-2015).  The meeting agreed to explore feasible means to develop tripartite cooperation involving ASEAN, the United Nations and developed countries, on the basis of global partnerships for development, to help close development gaps in the region.

Cooperation in Disaster Management including Post-Nargis Recovery Efforts

The meeting welcomed the launching of the Post-Nargis Recovery and Preparedness Plan and welcomed the adoption of the Joint Declaration on ASEAN-UN Collaboration in Disaster Management, and agreed to prepare and implement the “ASEAN-UN Strategic Plan of Action on Disaster Management 2011-2015”, through close consultation between the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management, the ASEAN Secretariat, the RCM and other established UN mechanisms for coordination of responses to disasters.

Stressing the importance of having effective standby facilities to coordinate distribution of relief and recovery assistance to affected countries in the region, the meeting agreed to have both the ASEAN and UN secretariats continue to develop modalities for closer links and exchanges of information between the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management.

Peace and Security

The United Nations welcomed the adoption of the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint, and agreed to work closely with ASEAN in the effort to strengthen ASEAN’s capacities to address non-traditional security issues, including combating transnational crime, and terrorism.

The meeting noted the vital role of the United Nations in the maintenance of international and regional peace and security and peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.  In this regard, the meeting looked forward to enhanced cooperation and exchanges of experiences and best practices through a series of ASEAN-UN seminars, workshops and trainings on issues such as preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.  ASEAN and the UN will continue to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the area of multidimensional peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding.  This work would also enhance ASEAN’s ability to promote comprehensive security.

The meeting also underscored the importance of the South-East Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone as an essential component for regional peace and stability, thereby contributing to international peace and security as a whole.

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of regional peace and stability, maritime security, and peaceful settlement of disputes, in accordance with relevant universally agreed principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other international maritime law.

International and Regional Issues of Common Concern

The meeting exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern, including the Korean peninsula and the Middle East, and viewed this dialogue as a means to enhance understanding of the issues from the regional and global perspectives while emphasizing the importance of mutual respect and understanding in such dialogue.

Human Rights

The meeting underscored the importance of the promotion and protection of human rights at the national, regional and international level, and of the importance of collaboration and coordination between each of these levels.  The United Nations welcomed the establishment of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights in October 2009 and the ASEAN Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children in April, and looked forward to collaborating with these bodies on enhancing the promotion and protection of human rights through exchanges of best practices and capacity-building.

Joint Action and Follow-up Coordination Mechanisms

The meeting decided that under the overall guidance of the ASEAN Chair and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Secretariats of the two Organizations will be entrusted with the responsibility to coordinate the implementation of the following during 2011-2012:

• Continued provision of United Nations assistance to ASEAN in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.  The two Organizations are to jointly explore feasible means to help close development gaps among ASEAN Member States;

• Collaboration through exchanges of best practices and capacity-building initiatives aimed at enhancing the promotion and protection of human rights;

• Exchange of experiences and best practices through a series of ASEAN-UN seminars, workshops and trainings on issues such as preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peacebuilding;

• Preparation and implementation of the “ASEAN-UN Strategic Plan of Action on Disaster Management 2011-2015”, which features in the Joint Declaration on ASEAN-UN Collaboration in Disaster Management;

• Regular Secretariat-to-Secretariat dialogue on ASEAN-UN partnership, including to identify further areas for enhanced cooperation and collaboration;

• Cooperation to support the implementation of the IAI Work Plan II and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.

The meeting looked forward to the convening of future ASEAN-UN Summits on a regular basis.  The meeting agreed that the present annual meetings between the ASEAN foreign ministers, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the General Assembly, with the presence of the Secretary-General of ASEAN (ASEAN-UN ministerial meetings), should continue to take place during the annual General Assembly meeting in September.

The meeting acknowledged that coordination on policy matters will be undertaken by the ASEAN Chair and the United Nations Secretary-General while the ministerial meetings will be the primary mechanism at the policy level for enhancing ASEAN-UN partnership in between the Summits, including the review of the implementation of cooperation activities.

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For information media • not an official record