Remarks by ASEAN Secretary-General H.E.
Ong Keng Yong
at the
8th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
Hamburg, 29 May 2007
This year marks the 40th anniversary of founding of ASEAN. The theme for our celebration is “One ASEAN at the heart of dynamic Asia”. This is a bold statement. But, we in ASEAN are in the midst of integrating of ten economies into one, and we believe Asia is being transformed everyday by the economic dynamism ushered in by the powerful forces unleashed by the developments in China and India.
Simply put, ASEAN is aligning its economic philosophy and harmonising the rules affecting trade and investment flow, and building competitive regimes to maintain its role in the global economy. A landmark decision is to establish an ASEAN Charter, a kind of constitution which ASEAN had previously avoided. The drafting of the charter is entrusted to a high level task force of experts and senior officials. The first cut of the draft is to be submitted to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers at the end of July 2007. We are on schedule. The task force has covered almost three quarters of the envisaged charter.
The ASEAN Charter will give ASEAN a legal personality. There will be institutionalised ways of operating and appropriate formal mechanisms. The rule of law will be strengthened. Accountability and predictability is obtained. The inter-governmental relations of ASEAN will be buttressed. We hope it will show all that ASEAN is serious about itself and intends to advance the regional agenda of cooperation and partnership for peace, prosperity and security in Southeast Asia.
Community building is not an easy process for a group of diverse countries at the best of time. ASEAN is also facing challenges like communicable diseases, the latest being avian influenza, and natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and tsunami. These episodes have constantly made headline news coming out of the ASEAN region. We are concerned about terrorist activities and the undue publicity of tarnishing all countries of the region, even though the security troubles are located in specific areas and within the containment ability of ASEAN Member Countries. The good news is that while people elsewhere in the world got excited by diseases, disasters and security concerns, ASEAN has organised its policy response, emergency measures and management capacity. We may not be able to eliminate all these woes but we can say we are better prepared for such challenges.
ASEAN has established such capacity through the culture of caring and sharing among Member Countries and its partners. ASEAN will continue to maintain its outward orientation and inclusive approach in engaging all parties interested in Southeast Asia and the role of ASEAN in the wider Asian context.
ASEAN is slowly but surely becoming more “one”. ASEAN, however, has to find solution to the problems on its radar scope. The natural environment needs protection in the face of rapid physical development. The energy security of the ASEAN Member Countries requires urgent attention. The non-governmental organizations and civil groups in many parts of the region are also very active and a more practical plan of engagement is necessary.
In the last 40th years, ASEAN Leaders have developed a strong commitment to build a cohesive and coherent ASEAN to meet the challenges confronting ASEAN. In the current intensification of ASEAN community building, the leadership of ASEAN has been focused and goal-oriented. Their sharp instincts have brought progress to ASEAN’s efforts in regional economic integration and we are now determined to stay on this course to realise the promise of ASEAN.
