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Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends, my fellow ASEAN citizens:
On behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs, it is my honor and pleasure to greet you on the occasion of the 55th Founding Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Every August, we come together to commemorate the singular vision that ASEAN represents and to mark the achievements of this community that we share with over 660 million brothers and sisters across the region.
From its founding 55 years ago, ASEAN has become the core institution of Southeast Asia, rightfully occupying its primacy in shaping our region’s security architecture and engagement with the world.
We have succeeded on multiple fronts: forging cooperation among our diverse peoples to come together in peace, freedom, and security; engaging towards enhanced opportunities and prosperity for all ASEAN citizens; and persisting to achieve our shared goal of improving the quality of life, well-being, and health of our peoples, all while striving towards the realization of an ASEAN identity. Our success rests on our own unique approach — quiet strength and diplomacy, steadfast work, and a determined commitment to leave no one behind.
We did not allow the ongoing challenges to arrest our progress and curb our enthusiasm in realizing our shared vision. Our will to move forward did not waver. We continue to deliver and achieve breakthroughs for our region and the citizens of ASEAN.
ASEAN continues to forge ahead in our collective COVID-19 recovery efforts. We are pleased to note that the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund (CARF) finalized vaccine procurement arrangements with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in October 2021, with vaccine distribution taking place in the first half of 2022. There is likewise progress in the establishment of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED). We are hopeful that this progress will be sustained as the ACPHEED will be instrumental in our efforts in further strengthening our regional capabilities to address public health emergencies and emerging diseases, including the potential resurgence of pandemics similar to COVID-19.
On the economic front, we saw progress with the entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) for the majority of ASEAN and all of the non-ASEAN signatories.
ASEAN is moving towards a more equal and gender-fair region. Last September, ASEAN launched the ASEAN Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Framework 2021-2025, which is not only a recognition of the critical importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment to sustainable development, but also brings us closer to ASEAN’s goals of leaving no one behind and realizing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of reaching the furthest behind first.
This year’s theme for Cambodia’s Chairmanship is “ASEAN A.C.T.: Addressing Challenges Together.” This thrust is evident in the initiatives I have just mentioned. Through these and the other programs that ASEAN has been working on in the past year, we can see ASEAN’s collective commitment to care for its people in the midst of unprecedented crises, prepare them for the opportunities and challenges ahead, and ensure the prosperity of the ASEAN community.
As we emerge and build back from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic and ramp up collective efforts for a comprehensive and sustainable recovery, we move ahead with a renewed purpose and resolve. The past years have made evident how much we need each other to address regional and global challenges. It is clear that bolstering a rules-based regional architecture founded on international law and fostering inclusive and mutually-beneficial multilateral cooperation is the way forward for ASEAN.
I wish ASEAN the very best in the coming years and I trust that we will all continue to stay true to the values and principles that have made us greater than the mere sum of our parts.
Mabuhay ang ASEAN!
(END)
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JPM-Press Release-2022-24
Meeting between EU Officials and the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Photo Credit: ASEAN Secretariat)
(Left to Right: Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Elizabeth T. Te,Deputy Director General Myriam Ferran, Mr. Gunnar Wiegand, Deputy Secretary-General Michael Tene and EU Ambassador Igor Driesmans during the Launch of the ASEAN-EU Joint Photo Exhibition) (Photo Credit: ASEAN Secretariat)
28 July 2022, Jakarta – A meeting between the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and European Union officials, Deputy Director-General Myriam Ferran of the Directorate General of International Partnerships, and EU Senior Official for ASEAN-EU relations Mr. Gunnar Wiegand, was held on 28 July 2022 at the ASEAN Secretariat. ASEAN and the EU discussed ways of enhancing ASEAN-EU engagement and exchanged views on regional issues.
Following the meeting, the CPR and the visiting EU officials also led the inauguration of the joint photo exhibition entitled, "Cooperation in Action". The photo exhibition is one of the activities to commemorate the 45th anniversary of ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations, and showcases not only meetings and conferences jointly held by the two regional organizations, but also human-interest photos including cooperation projects and exchanges.
In their remarks, Deputy Secretary-General Michael Tene for ASEAN Political-Security Community, EU Senior Official for ASEAN-EU relations Wiegand, DDG Myriam Ferran, and Chargé d'Affaires, a.i. Elizabeth Te of the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to ASEAN shared the view that the 45 photos featured in the exhibition represent efforts from both regional organizations to bring more tangible benefits of their cooperation to the peoples of both ASEAN and the EU. (END)
(Left to Right: Mr. Bovonethat Douangchak,Ambassador of Lao PDR Mission to ASEAN; Ms. Nur Nadiah Hidayat, Counsellor, Malaysian Mission to ASEAN; Ambassador Kok Li Peng, Singapore Ambassador to ASEAN, Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya, Thailand Ambassador to ASEAN; Mr. Hoang Trang Hai, Deputy Permanent Representative, Viet Nam Mission to ASEAN, Ambassador Igor Driesmans, Ambassador of EU to ASEAN, Deputy Director General Myriam Ferran, Directorate General of International Partnerships; Mr. Gunnar Wiegand, EU Senior Official for ASEAN-EU relations; Deputy Secretary General Michael Tene, ASEAN Political-Security Community; Ms. Elizabeth T. Te, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Philippine Mission to ASEAN, Ambassador Aung Myo Myint, Myanmar Ambassador to ASEAN, Ambassador Pengiran Hairani Pengiran Tajuddin, Brunei Ambassador to ASEAN, Mr. Un Samnang, Counsellor, Cambodian Mission to ASEAN; Ambassador M.I. Derry Aman, Indonesian Ambassador to ASEAN) (Photo Credit: ASEAN Secretariat)
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DFA Acting Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro calls for enhanced cooperation to combat transnational crime, address climate change, disaster relief management, and cybersecurity at the 28th ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Consultation. (DFA-ASEAN photo)
MANILA, 11 June 2022 – DFA Acting Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs and Philippine Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Leader, Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, called for enhanced cooperation to address climate change, disaster relief management, combat transnational crime, and cybersecurity, in a meeting with senior officials from ASEAN Member States and China on 10 June 2022.
During the 28th ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Consultation (ACSOC) held by video conference, the Philippine SOM Leader stressed that economic recovery must also endeavor sustainable development, including abating global warming.
“The Philippines’ thrust, being a maritime nation, has always involved ecological integrity and the protection of our biodiversity and the marine environment,” she underscored. Acting Undersecretary Lazaro urged support for the work of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity hosted by the Philippines.
As the region is often hit by calamities, the DFA official called for holistic and sustained efforts to implement the environment cooperation strategy between ASEAN and China, and deepen cooperation on disaster and disaster relief management, including capacity-building.
The Philippine SOM Leader also highlighted the need to advance measures in combatting terrorism and other transnational crimes, which continue to thrive and proliferate amidst the pandemic.
Given increased vulnerability to cyberthreats and disinformation, she advocated for the strengthening of the ASEAN-China Cyber Dialogue, as well as prioritizing inter-agency cooperation, confidence-building measures and scaling up digital literacy to bolster overall digital resilience.
ASEAN and China also reaffirmed the commitment to conclude an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (COC), the Meeting also sought to prepare for the activities to commemorate the event.
The Meeting also discussed cooperation on public health, socio-economic recovery, as well as proposed initiatives and activities to implement the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which was established in 2021. END
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Delegates from the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) participating countries gather in Manila for the ARF Tabletop Exercise on Response Capabilities to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Incidents on 13-15 June 2022. The exercise, with a scenario involving a biological incident, is co-chaired by the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, and the United States.
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DFA Acting Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro delivers her intervention during one of the recent meetings of ASEAN Senior Officials. (DFA-ASEAN photo)
MANILA, 11 June 2022 – The Philippines participated in recent meetings of ASEAN Senior Officials held virtually on 07-09 June 2022 where it highlighted its priorities.
Foreign Affairs Acting Undersecretary and Philippine SOM Leader, Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro attended the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) and the Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Commission held on 07 June 2022, and the ASEAN Plus Three SOM and the East Asia Summit SOM on 08 June 2022.
DFA Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Daniel Espiritu, meanwhile, attended the ASEAN Regional Forum SOM on 09 June 2022.
Acting Undersecretary Lazaro provided updates on the Philippines’ coordinatorship of ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations during the ASEAN SOM. In the meeting with ASEAN Plus Three (APT) SOM, she highlighted the multi-tiered APT framework, which covers a wide range of cooperation that successfully contributes towards the region’s economic recovery in response to crises, such as the disruptive COVID-19 pandemic and the geopolitical conflict in Ukraine. She emphasized the importance of water as a source of sustenance, vital avenues for communication, transportation, trade and people-to-people linkages and called for exchanges of best practices and innovative approaches on sustainable utilization to conserve the marine environment from debris and pollution for future generations.
During the EAS SOM, Acting Undersecretary Lazaro announced the Philippine hosting of the East Asia Summit (EAS) Workshop on Maritime Cooperation, underscoring that “Maritime cooperation will remain at the heart of Philippine initiatives in the East Asia Summit.” She stressed the importance of upholding international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS, and thanked EAS countries who have recognized and supported the 2016 Arbitral Award. This was further emphasized by Assistant Secretary Espiritu during the meeting with ARF SOM. END
PRESS RELEASES
Monday, 07 August 2023
- Thursday, 02 February 2023 Ambassador Quintana Congratulates Head of Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) for being conferred an Honorary Doctorate Degree by Hokkaido University
- Thursday, 19 January 2023 PH Mission joins the ASEAN Economic Community in advancing the region’s economic priorities for 2023
- Friday, 30 December 2022 PH Mission Commemorates Rizal Day
- Friday, 30 December 2022 New PH Ambassador and Permanent Representative to ASEAN arrives and assumes post
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