Inside ASEAN Column

Column: Inside ASEAN

Written by: Bureau of Public Relations[1]

Translated by: Bureau of Foreign Languages

The 34^th ASEAN Summit

22 – 23 June 2019

At Crystal Hall, the Athenee Hotel, Bangkok

The ASEAN Summit was held between 22-23 June 2019 consisting of a plenary session and retreat sessions. The summit supports Thailand’s implementation in creating sustainability for ASEAN in all dimensions in order to handle with changes and challenges such as the 4^th Industrial Revolution, climate change, and competition from non-member countries. Recently, ASEAN has followed the theme and made advancement especially, on strengthening sustainable security, creating seamless ASEAN connectivity and sustainable development to increase strategic value to ASEAN and creating stability and prosperity in the region. The shared purpose of ASEAN leaders has been reassured through an adoption of the vision on partnership for sustainability. In creating the sustainable and safe region for the peoples in any situations, ASEAN agrees that marine debris widely affects people’s living and wellness as well as marine animals and other marine resources. The meeting adopted the Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in ASEAN Region expressing ASEAN’s will to seriously and sustainably combat marine debris and support innovation, ideas as well as creating research potential, applying scientific knowledge and supporting participation of every sector. The details of practices will be discussed later.

Moreover, in order to handle unexpected disaster and natural disaster for example, recently, the incident of building collapse in Cambodia caused a number of deaths. We expressed our deep condolences and sent support to Cambodian leaders in handling with this disaster. ASEAN leaders launched the Satellite Warehouse under the Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA) and announced ASEAN Center of Military Medicine an official organization of ASEAN. Thailand is entrusted to be the home country for the 2 organizations. The summit emphasized promotion of realization and identity of ASEAN at people level as one of important agenda for implementation by giving importance to population at any age for example, children, youth, working population and senior population. ASEAN leaders adopted ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on the ASEAN Cultural Year 2019. Despite the cultural differences, cultural activities will be held throughout the year. Moreover, Thailand initiated an establishment of the Network of ASEAN Associations of ASEAN Member States. It is clear that ASEAN emphasized promotion of participation from every sector including ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, youth and business sectors with the aim of creating interactions and reiterating the importance of the ASEAN Community emphasizing people-centeredness and participation of every sector. ASEAN consists of people from different backgrounds such as education and income levels. This is the challenge for ASEAN leaders to consider how to make the greatest benefit for the people.

In addition, the Summit agrees with Thailand in promoting the roles of ASEAN to strengthen relationship with countries in the region. ASEAN spent an amount of time to discuss and publish ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific where different views from non-ASEAN members have been expressed. ASEAN, thus, presents the ASEAN Outlook emphasizing constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation in 4 dimensions. With shared the standpoint of ASEAN since Thailand encouraged ASEAN to play a crucial role in connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific in East Asia Summit (EAS) in the Philippines at the end of 2017. The President of Indonesia played an important role in driving the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN agreed to work on the principle of mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual benefit as well as to support implementation based on norms and principles contained in Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC). ASEAN agrees that the cooperation in the Indo-Pacific framework shall be based on the core of ASEAN, building participation among sectors, supporting cooperation existing in the region and sub-region and creating concrete benefit to the people. Moreover, the Summit placed importance on strengthening regional economy and agreed with Thailand in completing Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) within this year. The dialogue will help ASEAN to handle with changes and uncertainty in the region especially trade tension among ASEAN trade partners.

The Thai government are grateful for the support from ASEAN leaders in supporting chairmanship of Thailand as the host of the 34^th ASEAN Summit and all Thai sectors and people for their interest and cooperation in hosting the summit. The 34^th ASEAN Summit was honourably and graciously successful. Moreover, Thailand will host the 35^th ASEAN Summit at the beginning of November 2019 where leaders of non-member countries will attend the summit. Thailand hopes for good and continual cooperation from every sector for the upcoming summit.

On 21 June 2019, at InterContinental Hotel, Bangkok, Mr. Chuan Leekpai, President of the National Assembly as the President of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), along with 3 representatives of the Thai parliament including Professor Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, President of the Senate as Head of the Thai National Assembly Delegation, Mr. Kiat Sittheeamorn, Member of the House of Representatives, and Mrs. Pikulkeaw Krairiksh, Senator, 9 ASEAN member countries and Mr. Isra Sunthornvut, Secretary-General of AIPA attended the AIPA Preparatory Meeting of the AIPA Delegates under the theme “Advancing Parliamentary Partnership for Sustainable Community” aiming to support the meeting to be successful and once again, act as a pillar for gracious, trustworthy and sustainable democracy for the people. The result of the meeting was presented in the ASEAN leaders’ Interface with Representatives of AIPA during the 34^th ASEAN Summit.

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