| |
SINGAPORE: The ASEAN Charter will be implemented even without the ratification by all ten member countries and work will begin on two key areas in the Charter - the dispute settlement mechanism and the ASEAN Human Rights Body.
The decision was announced at the opening of the 41st ASEAN ministerial meeting in Singapore.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the Charter's ratification by all 10 members will be a signal of ASEAN's resolve.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, he said that even if some member countries may find it more difficult than others to be part of the Charter, the pace of ASEAN integration should not be held back or set by its slowest members.
The Ministerial Meeting will also look to strengthen the ASEAN Secretariat to monitor the implementation of agreements and compliance from ASEAN countries.
A major test at this meeting, which is currently chaired by Singapore, will be the dispute between member nations Cambodia and Thailand over territory near the Preah Vihear temple.
ASEAN foreign ministers discussed the dispute issue on Sunday night, said Prime Minister Lee, and they secured assurances from Cambodia and Thailand that both would exercise utmost restraint and abide by international obligations to resolve the issue amicably.
"More importantly, they agreed to place ASEAN’s facilities at the disposal of Cambodia and Thailand, should this be needed for an early resolution to the issue.
"This reflects a growing sense that ASEAN is no longer just a “talk-shop”, but a maturing community of nations prepared to act to advance its collective interests," said Mr Lee.
In his speech, Singapore's Prime Minister pointed out that ASEAN will be courted by the major powers as an economic partner and valued as an effective platform for cooperation on larger regional and global issues by presenting itself coherently.
This must happen, he said, so that ASEAN will get onto a virtuous cycle of growing prosperity and constructive engagement with its external partners.
It was also revealed at the opening ceremony on Monday that an ASEAN Studies Centre within the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) has been set up in Singapore.
The Centre will work closely with the ASEAN Secretariat to undertake policy research on ASEAN and look at measures to help the organisation grow new capabilities, strengthen its institutions, and enhance cooperation among its members.
- CNA/yb
|
