New York, USA, 28 September 2011

Pursuant to the outcome of the 3rd ASEAN-UN Summit in October last year in Ha Noi, the ASEAN Secretariat’s delegation paid a working visit to the United Nations’ Secretariat in New York this week. The ASEAN-UN Secretariat-to-Secretariat dialogue was co-chaired by Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN and Mr Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN. The Meeting was also attended by representatives of a number of key UN specialised agencies and organs, including UNDPA, ESCAP, CTED, OCHA, UNDP, DPKO, and OHCHR.

The two Secretariats had a fruitful dialogue on ASEAN-UN cooperation, particularly ASEAN’s cooperation with the various UN specialised agencies, and seeking ways and means to move the cooperation forward. “This process of regular Secretariat-to-Secretariat dialogue will contribute to further enhancing ASEAN-UN cooperation and thereby to the continuing efforts of ASEAN to establish the ASEAN Community by 2015,” said Dr Surin.

The Meeting reviewed the progress of the implementation of the Co-Chair’s Statement of the 3rd ASEAN-UN Summit in October 2010, particularly on six areas of cooperation set in the outcome document of the Summit: (i) attaining the Millennium Development Goals and narrowing the development gaps within ASEAN; (ii) promotion and protection of human rights; (iii) peace and security; (iv) collaboration on disaster management; (v) Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity; and (vi) coordination mechanism and Secretariat-to-Secretariat dialogue.

The Meeting also discussed matters related to the draft Joint Declaration on the ASEAN-UN Comprehensive Partnership, which is expected to be adopted at the 4thASEAN-UN Summit to be held in November this year in Bali, Indonesia. The UN Secretariat had earlier visited the ASEAN Secretariat in early March this year.