ASEAN has just launched the Asean Economic Community, but has already put in place the path to ensure that the momentum of the integration process continues over the next 10 years.
Through the Asean Leaders’ Kuala Lumpur Declaration on “Asean2025”: Forging Ahead Together,’ Asean member-states resolved to implement their vision of Asean 2025 in a timely and effective manner to push forward their desire and collective will to live in a region of lasting peace, security and stability, sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and social progress, as well as to promote Asean interests, ideals and aspirations.
Asean 2025 is a forward-looking road map that articulates their vision of Asean 10 years from now—one that is “politically cohesive, economically integrated, and socially responsible” and a consolidated community across three pillars—political-security, economic and sociocultural. In sum, Asean 2025 reaffirms the commitment toward the continuation and consolidation of Asean Community-building.
Asean Leaders have adopted the specific Blueprints for Asean Community Vision 2025 in the three pillars. These have action lines/strategic measures that are to be completed within a specific and limited time frame.
Community-building over the next decade will build on the experiences and expertise acquired in the preceding 10 years to tackle new challenges, harness new technologies and ensure opportunities for all.
Through the Asean Community building process, Asean demonstrates to its partners and the world that it is determined to maintain Asean’s role in dealing challenges that affect peace, security and stability of the region.
The broad goals of Asean 2025 include putting more emphasis on the peoples of Asean and their well-being; the increased awareness of Asean; more engagement with the peoples of Asean member-states; commitment to fundamental freedoms, human rights and better lives; strengthened capacity to deal with challenges while maintaining Asean centrality; remaining an outward-looking and global player; implementing the Asean agenda, while pursuing national aspirations and contribute to Asean Community-building; and strengthening Asean organs and the Asean Secretariat.
Asean 2025 lays out a vision of an interlinked, thriving community not only for Asean peoples, but for Asean’s partners, including Europe.
For Asean peoples, Asean 2025 means that they will continue to live in a more united, secure, peaceful and cohesive region; enjoy the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, be better prepared for pandemics and natural disasters, enjoy greater prosperity, and benefit form greater job opportunities and connectivity.
For Asean partners, Asean 2025 means engaging with a community that is committed to and has the capacity to contribute to a peaceful, secure and stable region; can respond effectively to existing and emerging challenges, and is committed to working with external partners to address issues ranging from drug-related crimes to trafficking in persons and people smuggling. Engaging with the Asean Community offers more economic, trade and investment opportunities. It also offers linkages with an Asean that has a greater role and voice in global economic fora and contributes to global economic governance.
Let me conclude by stating that the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines is fully committed to make Asean work, to encourage the cooperation between Asean and European companies, and to see to it that the expectations of Asean members and Asean partners are met. This commitment is done directly and through our shareholding in the European Union-Asean Business Council in Singapore.
In this context we are looking forward to the Philippine Asean Chairmanship in 2017 and the political and business events to be organized during that year.