ASEAN Bulletin - May 2006

The ASEAN Kite Council became the newest ASEAN-affiliated CSO when its application for affiliation was approved by the 39th ASEAN Standing Committee on 10 May 2006.

The AKC is a coalition of established kite groups from Southeast Asia and operates from Johor, Malaysia. The AKC aims to promote the traditional as well as the modern aspects of kites in every way, not only within ASEAN, but to the world at large. The AKC organises international kite festivals within the region and also participates in other world-renowned kite events, representing ASEAN. The activities of the AKC will contribute towards preserving and promoting ASEAN’s cultural heritage.

There are now fifty-five CSOs affiliated with ASEAN since 1986. The objective of the ASEAN-affiliation programme for CSOs is to foster closer relations and cooperation between ASEAN governments and CSOs towards community-building in ASEAN.

Seventy youths from ASEAN and China came to discuss and exchange views with ASEAN and Chinese officials, scholars and policy makers, on enhancing their roles to promote closer relationship between ASEAN and China in ASEAN-China Lecture Series, held recently at the ASEAN Secretariat.

The programme, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, aimed at encouraging the youth to play a greater role to strengthen ASEAN-China cooperation in celebrating fifteen years of ASEAN and China relation.

Following a morning discussion among themselves, the participants attended lectures presented by Dr. Lu Jianren from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Dr. Ignatius Wibowo from the Centre of Chinese Studies, speaking on the theme, “Historical and Contemporary Relations between the Peoples of Southeast Asia and China: Enhancing Future Collaboration among ASEAN and Chinese Youths”.

At the dialogue session, participants identified several key aspects to enhance a closer collaboration among ASEAN and Chinese youths, including the deepening of people-to-people contact; encouraging the youth to establish a network of young ASEAN-China professionals and entrepreneurs; and having greater internship opportunities for young people in the private sector.

“I like the fact that policy-makers are willing to listen to us and engage with us,” said Nita Chryssanti, participant from Atma Jaya University of Indonesia. “The discussion triggered us to think of how youth could play a role to create a better understanding between ASEAN and China”,

In closing the session, Dr. Lu noted, “The communication among the youth is beneficial to improving the friendship between the peoples of China and ASEAN countries”.

Other programmes/projects designed for youth under the ASEAN-China framework include China-ASEAN Youth Exchange, Workshop of ASEAN Youth Understanding’s Modern China, and the ASEAN Youth Leader’s Visit to China.

ASEAN to Receive US$30m Stockpile of Tamiflu and Protective Kits from Japan
2 May 2006

ASEAN and Japan officially launched the Japan-ASEAN Initiative to Combat Pandemic Influenza in Jakarta on 2 May 2006 as Mitoji Yabunaka, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan presented a list of goods that would be procured for the early containment of pandemic influenza to Ong Keng Yong, Secretary-General of ASEAN. The ceremony was witnessed by Health Ministers from several ASEAN Member Countries, senior officials and representatives from international organisations.

Under the Initiative, 500,000 courses of Tamiflu and 700,000 sets of personal protective equipment worth about US$30 million will be stockpiled in Singapore. The entire stockpile will be completed in a few months. Mr. Yabunaka described this as an important step forward in ASEAN and Japan’s joint effort and noted that other elements in the initiative to combat pandemic influenza were also being considered. This stockpile was “not the end of the story”. Shigeru Omi, Regional Director for Western Pacific at the WHO, noted that this regional stockpile would be of vital importance for early response to pandemic influenza.

The initiative is funded by the US$70 million Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). The establishment of JAIF was proposed by Japanese PM Junichiro Koizumi at the ASEAN-Japan Summit of December 2005 and launched on 27 March 2006.