The Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) and the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) yesterday paid tribute to Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, former ASEAN Secretary-General and Foreign Minister of Thailand. 

Ambassador Elizabeth Buensuceso, Secretary-General Minh, and members of the CPR and ASEC offer a minute of silence in honor of Dr. Surin Pitsuwan.

H.E. Elizabeth Buensuceso, the Chair of the CPR, and H.E. Le Luong Minh, Secretary-General of ASEAN, both remembered Dr. Pitsuwan as an inspirational and visionary leader and an articulate and eloquent man, who brought unity and purpose to ten economically and politically divergent Member States and was equally comfortable explaining ASEAN to ordinary people as he was to the bloc’s external partners.

“He was the face of ASEAN when he was Secretary-General,” noted Ambassador Buensuceso. Other Permanent Representatives similarly recalled Dr. Pitsuwan’s energy and wholehearted commitment to ASEAN. 

Dr. Pitsuwan continued to advocate for ASEAN both at home and overseas even after his term as ASEAN Secretary-General. Ambassador Buensuceso recalled that at the ASEAN@50 High Level Forum held in Manila last 30 October, the former Secretary-General seemingly issued ASEAN one final task – to deliver and demonstrate ASEAN’s success as a regional organization to the rest of the world in this era of retreating multilateralism and globalization.

“The sudden passing of Dr. Surin has left ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat saddened at the loss of a valuable legacy,” stated Secretary-General Minh.

Dr. Pitsuwan served as ASEAN Secretary-General from 2008 to 2012. He passed away in Bangkok on 30 November 2017.