During the 15th ASEAN Summit, Related Summits and other related Ministerial Meetings, to be held during 21 — 25 October 2009, over 15 documents (see attachment) are scheduled to be signed, adopted or issued. Among these, the main documents where action is expected to be taken are the following:
1. Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on the Inauguration of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) — The Declaration emphasizes the commitment of ASEAN Member States in the promotion and protection of human rights in the region. The commitment includes the assurance by all Member States to provide the AICHR with full support and adequate resources. Furthermore, the declaration contains several provisions to strengthen the AICHR, for example, by reviewing its mandate and functions every five years, and by encouraging contribution of all stakeholders to the promotion and protection of human rights in ASEAN.
2. Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on Strengthening Cooperation on Education to Achieve an ASEAN Caring and Sharing Community — The Declaration recognizes the importance of the education sector in contributing to the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015. The Declaration identifies guidelines and measures for ASEAN to advance its cooperation on education, such as the promotion of better understanding and appreciation of different cultures, customs and faiths in the region; the promotion of principles of democracy, respect for human rights and peace-oriented values in the school curriculum; and the promotion of greater mobility and educational opportunities among students in ASEAN Member States.
3. ASEAN Statement on Climate Change — The Statement reflects a unified response of ASEAN Member States in addressing the problem of climate change. It also outlines ASEAN’s position and expectations in advance of the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 5th session of the Conference of Parties serving as the Meeting of Parties (CMP) to the Kyoto Protocol to be convened in Copenhagen on 7-18 December 2009.
4. Cha-am Hua Hin Statement on ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation on Food Security and Bio-Energy Development — The Statement emphasizes the commitment of the ten ASEAN Member States, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea in promoting their cooperation to ensure food and energy security for people in the region. The Statement outlines a number of measures that the ASEAN Plus Three countries will be undertaking, for example, the establishment of an ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve, the promotion of sharing of best practices and exchanges of information on policies, experiences and technical cooperation; and the promotion of innovations that will ensure long-term viability of alternative energy and bio-energy.
5. Cha-am Hua Hin Statement on East Asia Summit Disaster Management — The Statement identifies various measures that the sixteen countries participating in the East Asia Summit (ASEAN plus Six) will implement in addressing threats posed by natural disasters. Such measures include the enhancement of each country’s disaster management capacity, such as, disaster risk reduction capacity and post-disaster management and recovery capacity, which covers a provision to establish ASEAN standby arrangements for disaster relief and emergency response.
6. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Establishing the ASEAN-China Centre — The MoU captures the commitment of ASEAN and China to establish an ASEAN — China Centre in Beijing at the earliest opportunity. The centre’s main function is to promote people-to-people relations and cooperation between ASEAN and China in various fields, in particular trade, investment, tourism, and cultural exchanges.
7. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ASEAN and China on Cooperation in the Field of Intellectual Property — The MoU identifies various areas of possible cooperation such as establishment of a mechanism of meetings among heads of intellectual property agencies, exchange of information and experiences, exchange of cooperation in the development of intellectual property automation and database, and promotion of innovation.
8. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ASEAN and China on Strengthening Cooperation in the field of Standards, Techinical Regulations and Conformity Assessment — The MoU covers cooperation in order to ensure that imported and exported products between both ASEAN Member States and China conform with requirements concerning safety, health and the environment, all of which are important for protecting the interest of consumers and promoting regional trade. Such measures include establishing a system of information exchange and communication, conducting exchange visits of relevant management, enforcement and technical personnel, conducting training courses and seminars between officials concerned and conducting collaborative research.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th