JAKARTA, 12 NOVEMBER 2020 – Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 37th ASEAN Summit will take place today through video-conference. Viet Nam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will preside over the opening ceremony. He will be joined online by Leaders from the other ASEAN Member States.
Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi said, “Viet Nam’s chairmanship of ASEAN this year has been exemplary. In spite of having to deal with its domestic COVID-19 challenges and natural disasters, Viet Nam has provided able leadership in keeping the region cohesive and responsive to these challenges, placing ASEAN Centrality and the peoples’ interest at the core.”
High on the 37th ASEAN Summit agenda is the Leaders’ discussion and approval of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and its Implementation Plan, which will serve as the whole-of-community exit strategy to recover and build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, there will be further discussions on the ASEAN Travel Corridor Arrangement, which would facilitate the safe resumption of essential business travel in the region.
As ASEAN Chair, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is also expected to announce the recipient of the ASEAN Prize 2020. Launched in 2018, the ASEAN Prize aims to recognise inspiring achievements and contributions of an individual or organisation that fosters the ASEAN identity, promotes the ASEAN spirit, and champions the ASEAN way.
The ASEAN Leaders will also meet with their counterparts from ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners in a series of ASEAN Plus One summits.
Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the ASEAN Leaders, under Viet Nam’s Chairmanship, has earlier met over three cyber Summits in 2020, namely the Special ASEAN Summit and Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on 14 April, and the 36th ASEAN Summit on 26 June.
The Opening Ceremony will be live streamed on the ASEAN Chair’s website (https://www.asean2020.vn/).
Brunei Darussalam will assume the ASEAN Chairmanship for 2021.
ASEAN was founded in Bangkok, Thailand on 8 August 1967 when the five founding members – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – signed the ASEAN Declaration. Since then, ASEAN has expanded and enlarged its membership with the inclusion of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam.
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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on 7 January 1984, followed by Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.Menu - WHAT WE DO
ASEAN organs always strive to achieve ASEAN’s goals and objectives, the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat shall be functioned as coordinating Secretariat to help facilitate effective decision-making withing and amongst ASEAN bodies. In addition, each Member State shall appoint a Permanent Representative to liaise with Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat
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ASEAN shall develop friendly relations and mutually beneficial dialogues, cooperation and partnerships with countries and sub-regional, regional and international organisations and institutions. This includes external partners, ASEAN entities, human rights bodies, non-ASEAN Member States Ambassadors to ASEAN, ASEAN committees in third countries and international organisations, as well as international / regional organisations.
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The rodmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015) was declared by the leaders in 2009. The ASEAN Community, anchored on three community pillars: Political-Security Community, Economic Community, Socio-Cultural Community was launched in 2015. The ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together was introduced in 2015 as a Post-2015 Vision. It comprises the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025
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