Statement by the Secretary–General
of ASEAN, H.E. Ong Keng Yong, at
APEC 2005 Ministerial Meeting
Busan, Republic of Korea, 16 November 2005

Mr. Chairman
Distinguished colleagues

1.  The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) would like to express its appreciation to the Member Economies of APEC for inviting ASEAN to APEC 2005 in Busan, Republic of Korea. ASEAN congratulates the Republic of Korea and APEC Member Economies for their sustained efforts in keeping APEC’s agenda active and relevant to the many challenges confronting all of us. 
    
2.  Looking at the main theme of APEC 2005 Korea, that is, “Meeting the Challenge, Making the Change”, we in ASEAN are reminded of our current biggest problems, namely, combating terrorism and virus, and responding to the economic competition. In both cases, ASEAN must change its ways of doing things. This will take time, which we do not have. Still, we must press on and continue to work together.

3.  Allow me to go further and share briefly with you more of what ASEAN is doing. Like anyone working in the highly competitive globalised market place of today, ASEAN must compete to survive, and to do so, ASEAN must have an edge over others. This edge is not a static quality. It is one which is dynamic, and constantly evolving to keep ahead of the competition. What’s more, governments alone cannot deliver and sustain this edge. The private sector and the people sector must help out.

4.  Currently, ASEAN Member Countries are focusing their efforts on building the ASEAN Community to get the edge. This means we are integrating our ten economies into a single market. It requires a lot of alignment and harmonization of policies, rules and regulations. Most importantly, attitude and behaviour have to be changed.  Perhaps, sending an ASEAN citizen into space or to the moon is easier.

5.  Fortunately, ASEAN Leaders are committed and the far-reaching internal ASEAN exercise has been incentivised by the gains of freer trade and free-trade agreements (FTAs) with ASEAN’s key trade partners.
6.  To succeed, the external factors are also critical. Regional peace and stability, growing opportunities for economic expansion and a vibrant people sector stimulating creativity, innovation and harnessing technology are essential. Southeast Asia cannot simply be a mere economic market place. It must also be a strategic asset to all. Hence, ASEAN Leaders have agreed to and championed for an open, outward-looking ASEAN through a collective engagement of other members of the international community. Southeast Asia would be on the centre-stage of world affairs.

7.  To date, ASEAN cannot claim great success in realising the ASEAN Community with its security, economic and socio-economic pillars. ASEAN’s way of doing things is different from the regional integration and common market concept elsewhere. International terrorism, outbreaks of communicable diseases (the latest being the avian influenza), catastrophic natural disasters and the clash of national egos have been very distracting.

8.  Yet, the ASEAN Community building has provided a rare clarity and common endeavour for developing a viable competitive edge. Over the years, the spirit of give and take among ASEAN Member Countries has deepened. The goal of the common good is becoming more and more compelling and “practical”. The difficulties of coordination, resource mobilisation and institutional development remain daunting. But, change has been made. The challenge today is to make more decision-makers in all quarters of ASEAN accept this strategy of sustaining the edge over ASEAN’s economic competitors and engaging all stakeholders in managing ASEAN’s progress and development.

Thank you for your kind attention. Our heartfelt gratitude to our Korean hosts for a truly remarkable display of warmth, hospitality and organisational talent.