
Address by H.E. Ong Keng Yong, Secretary-General of ASEAN at the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation 24th General Assembly Jakarta, 8th September 2003 H.E Akbar Tandjung, President, AIPO Honorable Heads of Delegation, Distinguished participants, Ladies and Gentlemen. Good afternoon. Let me begin by thanking the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organisation for inviting me to speak at this 24th General Assembly of ASEAN Parliamentarians. It is my pleasure to share with you today ASEAN’s progress since the last AIPO General Assembly in Ha Noi, Viet Nam. Diversity Geographically and culturally, we are a diverse region. However, we have capitalised on ASEAN’s rich heritage and multi-faceted characteristics to develop a sense of common purpose and direction. We are 10 sovereign countries but we are inter-twined in many ways and now, all of us in ASEAN are inter-dependent. We share our similarities and we celebrate our differences. We take pride in the way we work together to make ASEAN relevant and useful. We have maintained peace and prosperity within this region through regular dialogue and consultations. Through this creature called “ASEAN”, we enable and enrich more than 520 million people in Southeast Asia. Challenges But, we have many challenges to overcome. Like everyone else in our turbulent world, ASEAN has to confront international terrorism and all its associated problems. We must learn to cope with this danger as it cannot be completely wiped out soon. For many of us, this means new ways of socialising in and out of our respective countries. ASEAN was hit hard by the SARS crisis. The recovery from the harm caused by SARS is now underway. But we are not sure how SARS can re-appear again in the cooler months later in the year. The armed conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine will also continue to undermine business sentiments and public confidence. Sustaining socio-economic development is another important challenge facing ASEAN. In the shorter term, stimulating growth in the 10 ASEAN economies is an urgent priority. Traditional policy responses must be accompanied by a strong commitment to structural reforms. These reforms can be deepened with more cooperative and integrated approach among ASEAN Member Countries. Economic Integration Recognising the continued sluggishness of the world economy, the ASEAN Leaders at their 8th Summit Meeting in November 2002 in Phnom Penh stressed the importance of economic management and regional integration to strengthen national and regional competitiveness. Relevant studies have been commissioned by the ASEAN Ministers concerned and recommendations to further liberalise the ASEAN economies are expected to be approved by the ASEAN Leaders at their Bali Summit in October 2003. We are looking at an ASEAN Economic Community by 2020. This ASEAN Economic Community will have free flow of goods, services and investment. Skilled workers can also move around the region for employment more freely. A political commitment to boost ASEAN competitiveness was continuously reaffirmed through moving forward the full implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA). Since its inception in 1992, the AFTA has been put in place steadily by the ASEAN Member Countries. AFTA has brought down high tariffs but this is not enough to make investors put money into our respective economies. Other policies must be added to the AFTA initiative. ASEAN is now focussed on efforts to eliminate bottlenecks arising from non-tariff barriers, non-harmonisation of standards and technical regulations, and cumbersome customs procedures. Product standards and safety regulations are being harmonized, either regionally under the relevant ASEAN framework arrangements, or bilaterally under mutual recognition arrangements. Member Countries of ASEAN are working on a clear interpretation and application of rules of origin and on more effective mechanisms to resolve trade operational problems and to settle trade disputes. Equally important is the strengthening of physical links of transportation and communication networks through more liberal policies and more modern technologies. In order to ensure that the new members of ASEAN can keep up with the older members in economic development, the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan has been endorsed by our Leaders and more than 70 projects have been initiated in the areas of Infrastructure Development, Human Resource Development, Information and Communications Technology and Regional Economic Integration. Through the IAI, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Viet Nam can close the gap in capability and capacity development. External Relations It is important to note that all the major economic powers in the world are ASEAN’s dialogue partners and have established strong economic ties with ASEAN over the years. Numerous cooperation projects in a wide field have been implemented or are ongoing. All these will strengthen ASEAN Member Countries’ economic competitiveness. In the last two years, ASEAN has undertaken extensive efforts to liberalise trade with a number of dialogue partners. For example, ASEAN has concluded a Work Programme with Australia and New Zealand to expand economic relations. China is negotiating with ASEAN on a Free Trade Area (FTA) arrangement. Japan has completed discussions with ASEAN on a framework to develop closer economic partnership. India is engaged in the final stages of a framework agreement to enhance economic cooperation with ASEAN. We hope to sign relevant agreements with China, India and Japan at the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in Bali in 4 weeks’ time. Meanwhile, ASEAN is actively working on a number of trade initiatives with the European Union (EU) and the USA. Social Integration The forces of globalisation and trade liberalization in the region saw the need to bridge the human resource development gap in ASEAN. Realising that the quality of human resources is paramount in keeping up with economic integration. We have accelerated the use of computers and related technologies in the education and training of our people. Many seminars and workshops have been organised. In fact, there is a training workshop in session almost every day of the calendar in one of our Member Countries. We are learning how to bring ICT to every level of our respective societies. Even our farmers have been developing a computerised networking system. ICT removes the distance in geography and culture. Social development is another important factor in accelerating economic integration. A socially-cohesive and caring ASEAN, where hunger, malnutrition and poverty are no longer basic problems is a pre-requisite for an economically vibrant prosperous Southeast Asia. In this regard, ASEAN Member Countries have been working closely among themselves and with the relevant international organisations in the areas of health, rural development, poverty eradication and social welfare. Progress is painstakingly slow given the limited resources and the physical difficulties of governing approved work programmes across hundred and thousand of kilometres. Yet, we have to constantly seek more efficient and effective implementation follow-ups. Trans-national Crime ASEAN, together with its dialogue partners and other international bodies, remains united in dismantling all forms of organised crime. A Work Programme has been adopted to implement the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime including counter terrorism. ASEAN Member Countries have agreed to work closely on six significant areas, namely information exchange, cooperation in legal matters, cooperation in law enforcement, institutional capacity building, training and cooperation with non-ASEAN Countries. The setting up of focal points for the secure and efficient exchange of information on terrorists and terrorist organizations, their movement and funding, and any other related information is an important step in this joint effort by ASEAN Member Countries. Training programmes and workshops on counter-terrorism and related transnational activities such as money laundering and arms smuggling have also been carried out. Increasingly, the officials in charge in ASEAN and dialogue partner countries are working as a team to deal with these challenges. Member Countries and dialogue partner countries are recognising that terrorism needs to be dealt with not only at regional but also at international levels. ASEAN has signed cooperation agreements with China, the US and the EU to combat international terrorism and transnational crime. In addition to cooperation under the Plus Three framework, the ASEAN Regional Forum is also active in collaborative efforts in combating terrorism. The ASEAN Secretariat and AIPO Secretariat have started to exchange information on ASEAN’s regional efforts in its fight against illicit drug trafficking. The ASEAN Secretariat has recommended that AIPO actively addresses the issue of drug control and prevention at the national legislature level. For the longer term, we should examine how to harmonise drug laws in ASEAN to ensure that abusers do not take advantage of the disparity in legal provisions within ASEAN. Conclusion In conclusion, it is germane to remind ourselves what the founding fathers of ASEAN said: “ASEAN represents the collective will of the nations of Southeast Asia to bind themselves together in friendship and cooperation and, through joint efforts and sacrifices, secure for their peoples and for posterity the blessings of peace, freedom and prosperity.” Long live ASEAN.