Successful chairmanship of Asean
Published on: Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia have delivered a sterling performance in assuming the role as the Chair of Asean in 2015, said Malaysia's Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.He said the outcomes of the 27th Asean Summit and its Related Summits ended in accordance with expectations and guided under the eight priorities outlined during the handing-over ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar in November 2014.The eight priorities, he said are as follows:-
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a) To formal declare the establishment of Asean Community on 31 December 2015;b) To develop the Asean Community's Post-2015 Vision;c) To bring Asean closer to its peoples;d) To enhance the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs);
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e) To increase the trade and investment within Asean;f) To strengthen Asean's institutions;
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g) To promote regional peace and security; andh) To enhance Asean's role globally.He said a total of 18 heads of State/Government participated in this edition of Asean Summit whereby eight of them represented Asean's Dialogue Partners, namely, Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the US. The Secretary-General of the United Nations was also in attendance. "The 27th Asean Summit and Related Summits have just ended and at its closing ceremony, Malaysia had symbolically handed over the Chairmanship of Asean to Laos which would helm the regional body in 2016. "Technically speaking, however, Malaysia is still the Chairman of Asean until 31 December 2015," he said at the wrap-up on Malaysia's chairmanship of Asean 2015 here.Anifah said he was pleased that Malaysia as the Chair, had organised a momentous event where two important declarations were signed by the Asean Leaders. "The first declaration was the 2015 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of Asean Community and the second, the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Asean 2025: Forging Ahead Together. "The signing of the both declarations was done before a packed hall in the morning of Nov 2 and it symbolically signified the formal establishment of the Asean Community and the adoption of the Asean 2025: Forging Ahead Together," he said.According to Anifah, the 2015 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of Asean Community signified the remarkable progress achieved by Asean in its quest to create a community premised on the three pillars – Political-Security Communit, Economic Community, Socio-Cultural Community. He said the declaration is a historical document as it represented the culmination of efforts by Asean Leaders in formulating various initiatives towards deeper regional integration. Meanwhile, the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Asean 2025: Forging Ahead Together, focused on the future direction of Asean across the three pillars for the next decade and represented Asean's resolution towards a more deepened and conclusive Asean Community building process. "Consistent with past practices, Asean together with its Dialogue Partners continued to discuss issues of mutual concern such as the proliferation of extremism including terrorist attacks, transnational crime, human trafficking, piracy and wildlife trafficking."Deliberations on these issues are not only timely but inevitable owing to the current developments that are taking place across the globe. "On terrorism and extremism, discussions on this alarming issue are timely due to the recent incidents in Beirut, Paris and more recently in Bamako where Asean Leaders expressed their grave concern over the proliferation of such incidents across the globe including in this region. "The Prime Minister Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Tun Rqazak himself had deliberated and dwelled on the subject matter rather extensively in his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 27th Asean Summit," he said.Anifah said the leaders also adopted two vital declarations, among other declarations, on moderation and extreme violence, which were adopted at the 10th East Asia Summit (EAS).He said the first declaration – the 'EAS Declaration on the Global Movement of Moderates' – among others, aims at increasing the level of acceptance on the values of moderation among the Participating Countries of the East Asia Summit (EAS). On the other hand, he said the second one, the 'EAS Declaration on Countering Violent Extremism' aimed at addressing the threat of online radicalisation and extreme propaganda. "The leaders had put their hearts together in deliberating the issue of radicalism and extremism. The declaration symbolise the commitment and determination by Asean Member States to effectively address the threat posed by extreme violence which is on the rise. "Additionally, the declaration could enhance the networking among the Asean Member States. From Malaysia's perspective, the declaration is consistent with the initiative pionereed by our Prime Minister in promoting moderation as one of the means in solving any existing or potential disputes," Anifah said.On the establishment of the Asean Community on Dec 31, this year, he said it will mark a new era for Asean which is politicaly cohesive, economically integtared, socially responsible and a rules-based, people-oriented, people-centred Asean. On political-security aspect, he said the cooperation among Asean Member States will be strengthened based on rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedom, adherence to the principles of tolerance and moderation as well as mutual respect. For instance, Anifah said the signing of the Asean Convention on Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP) provides a solid legal framework for cooperation among the Asean Member States in addressing the issue of human trafficking in an effective manner. On economic front, he said Asean is currently enjoying a healthy Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$2.57 trillion in 2014 which makes Asean the seventh largest economy in the world. The intra-Asean trade, he said stood at US$608 billion and the total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) at US$136.2 billion in 2014, a marked increase of 160 per cent from 2007."On socio-cultural front, the population of Asean is projected to reach 737 million population by the year 2030. "Therefore, the establishment of Asean Community will focus on the efforts to narrow down the development gaps among the Member States and further increase the standard of living of its peoples. "The Asean Community will also focus its efforts on the capacity building aspects of its peoples in facing the challenges ahead," Anifah said.Within the context of regional architecture, he said Asean Member States were unified in maintaining Asean centrality by adhering strictly to core Asean instruments such as the Asean Charter, and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in preserving peace, stability and regional prosperity."The formal declaration of the Asean Community 2015 does not mean that the regional integration process in Asean has come to an end. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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