Lao People’s Democratic Republic was recognized as the World's Best Tourist Destination for 2013 by the European Council on Tourism and Trade (ECTT). Tourist arrivals are surging—up 22% on a per annum basis—with last year's estimate at 3.3 million. At present, the tourism sector is the second largest income earner in Lao PDR.

The country received the prestigious citation following its initiatives at preserving culture and history and raising the quality of tourism services. Preservation of the country’s historical, cultural and religious patrimony includes the UNESCO Heritage Sites of  Luang Prabang and 12th century Wat Phu, as well as the Plain of Jars from Neolithic civilization and Wat Xieng Thong. Care to quality of tourism embraces a new concept of community-based tourism that is nature friendly. This comprises facilities and safety for tourists, access and investments to sites of historical and cultural significance, and the benefits of tourism to grassroots communities.

Fifteen Myanmar senior diplomats and other senior government officials are currently in Jakarta to prepare the country as Chair of ASEAN 2014. The 13-24 May programme includes consultations with officials from the Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs – KemLu, the sessions at the ASEAN Secretariat, among others.

The two-week visit is aimed at exchanging expertise and experiences carried out between stakeholders relevant to Myanmar’s ASEAN Chair in 2014.

The ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) initiates the “Establishment of an integrated Information and Communication Technology to strengthen the operation of AHA Centre-Phase II (the AHA Centre ICT-Phase II)”. This 18-month project aims to establish connectivity of the AHA Centre with all of national disaster management offices (NDMOs), to ensure that all necessary data and information can be exchanged between the AHA Centre and NDMOs during disaster and non-disaster situation and to enhance capacity of the AHA Centre related to ICT and connectivity.

This USD 4,926,247 project, supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), will develop special software to facilitate the offer of assistance from ASEAN Member States upon the request of disaster-affected countries in the region and coordination by the AHA Centre. Training programs will also be provided to the staff of both the AHA Centre and NDMOs to manage and operate the ICT system developed under the project. ICT – Phase II is a continuation of Phase I of the AHA Centre’s ICT development funded by the Government of Japan through JAIF. Phase I of the project concentrated on establishing ICT platforms, systems, and equipment for the AHA Centre. These tasks have been accomplished and the AHA Centre now has a fully equipped operations room with sophisticated ICT.

During the courtesy call on ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh on 20 May 2013, H.E. Andreas Mavroyiannis, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, congratulated SG Minh for assuming the post and stressed Cyprus' commitment in strengthening relations with ASEAN.

SG Minh and Secretary Mavroyiannis exchanged views on the recent developments in ASEAN and Cyprus. Both agreed on the importance of strengthening relations between ASEAN and EU, and between ASEAN and individual EU member states, including Cyprus.

ASEAN and partners have initiated tireless efforts to address the development gap in ASEAN. To promote awareness and understanding on the importance of narrowing the development gap (NDG) in ASEAN, the “NDG Lecture Series” are taking place and the diplomatic community, research institutions, and media took part in the launching of a new publication “Narrowing the Development Gap in ASEAN: Drivers and Policy Options” at the ASEAN Secretariat on 17 May 2013.

With measures based on the universally accepted Human Development Index, the new publication states that this development gap has been narrowing in the last decade, but more needs to be done.

“This new publication will enhance our understanding of the development gaps, provide an important context for decision makers to identify strategic needs of the region, and suggest policy options to narrow the development gap,” said H.E. Le Luong Minh, the Secretary-General of ASEAN.

ASEAN’s oil use for road transport forecast to grow rapidly in future years, resulting in potentially bringing serious economic, environmental and energy security consequences for Member States. In this regard, ASEAN and the United States are expanding their energy cooperation to promote vehicle fuel efficiency in the region by organising the “U.S.-ASEAN Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Workshop” in Jakarta, Indonesia, this week.

The workshop brought together forty ASEAN Member States officials responsible for energy efficiency and conservation to examine lessons-learned from both the United States’ experience of setting minimum vehicle fuel efficiency standards and the U.S. “Cash-for-Clunkers” program to encourage the removal of inefficient vehicles from the roads. 

The ASEAN-EU Senior Officials’ Meeting was held in Ho Chi Minh City on 14-15 May 2013. The Meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Pham Quang Vinh, Deputy Foreign Minister of Viet Nam and H.E. Viorel Isticioaia-Budura, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific, European External Action Service (EEAS), EU.

The Meeting reviewed ASEAN-EU cooperation, including the implementation of the Bandar Seri Begawan Plan of Action to Strengthen the ASEAN-EU Enhanced Partnership for the period of 2013-2017 and discussed substantially the future direction and recommended numerous substantive and practical measures to further strengthen the ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations. In this regard, the Meeting also highlighted the areas of priority for cooperation between ASEAN and the EU. The Meeting also exchanged views on a wide range of international and regional issues of mutual interest such as the East Asian regional architecture, global financial and economic situation, climate change and disaster management, counter-terrorism and transnational crimes, food and energy security, maritime security, human rights cooperation, trade and investment, connectivity, narrowing development gap, etc.

By:
Danny Lee, Director for Community  Affairs Development at the ASEAN Secretariat & Desi Hanara, AIPA, ASEAN Foundation, AICHR and Entities Associated with ASEAN Division

The delegates from the ASEAN legislatures held active discussions  at the 5th Caucus Meeting of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly on 12 – 13 May 2013. The Caucus is mandated to recommend legislative initiative to harmonize the law of ASEAN countries in the areas of common interest. The Caucus discussed the progress made by each ASEAN Member States in implementing Resolutions adopted at the 33rd AIPA General Assembly in Lombok, Indonesia in 2012. Best practices in the various member states on Green Growth and Poverty Reduction for Sustainable Development were also shared.

During the discussion session, the meeting discussed the three aspects of Green Growth, namely the building of Green Growth legislative capacity; the improvement of the national Green Growth implementation capacity through monitoring, verification and reporting; and the possible integration of joint Green Growth initiative, in particular the Low Carbon Instruments in the ASEAN region. Pertaining to topic of Poverty Reduction, the meeting focused the discussion on 5 aspects, namely poverty reduction policy mainstreaming process; the coordination in implementing poverty reduction policies/programmes, the application of multi-dimensional poverty approach in national policies, international and national resources mobilization for poverty reduction and national coping strategies during economic crisis to support the poor.

The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) convened its Twelfth Meeting at the ASEAN Secretariat from 6 to 10 May 2013.  The Meeting was chaired by H. E. Pehin Dato Dr. Awang Hj. Ahmad bin Hj. Jumat, the Representative of Brunei Darussalam and the Chair of the AICHR. The AICHR welcomed the new Representative of Cambodia to the AICHR, H.E. Mr. Srun Thirith. The AICHR held several bilateral meetings, including with the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR), the Secretary-General of ASEAN, the European Union Special Representative for Human Rights, the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism and the representatives of relevant ASEAN Sectoral Bodies, namely the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW) and the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Women and Children (ACWC).

The joint annual meeting between the AICHR and the CPR takes place during the regular AICHR meetings. This practice of a joint annual meeting began in 2010 when the AICHR held its first meeting in the ASEAN Secretariat. The AICHR and the CPR discussed how both ASEAN bodies can work together in the implementation of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD). It was agreed by both parties that a joint event on the AHRD would be held in conjunction with the celebration of the 46th ASEAN Day in August 2013. 

The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) chaired by H.E. Pehin Dato Dr. Awang Hj. Ahmad bin Hj. Jumat, the Representative of Brunei Darussalam and the Chair of AICHR welcomed Mr. Stavros Lambrinidis, the European Union (EU) Special Representative for Human Rights. This was the first dialogue between the AICHR and the newly established EU Special Representative.

Mr. Lambrinidis stated that his meeting with the AICHR symbolises the strong recognition by the EU of ASEAN’s centrality and the AICHR in promoting and protecting human rights in the region, as well as of ASEAN’s evolution on human rights, through the establishment of the AICHR as the first regional human rights mechanism in Asia. He said that human rights are the fundamental cementing block that created the EU, and human rights are now integrated as a component in the EU foreign policy. Although he is mandated to implement the EU’s human rights foreign policy based on a recently adopted strategic framework, Mr. Lambrinidis explained that one of his priorities is to collaborate with regional organisations around the world, including ASEAN through the AICHR.

The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) members, including the ten ASEAN Member States, gathered for the third ARF Disaster Relief Exercise (DiREx) in Cha-am, Phetchaburi, Thailand from 7 to 10 May 2013. Using a scenario of 8.9-magnitude earthquake and typhoon, disaster management agencies and emergency responders from civil and military institutions of ARF members exercise their coordination and disaster relief mechanisms. Key actors in disaster relief operation in the Asia and Pacific region, including the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assitance on disaster management (AHA Centre), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, also actively participate in this event.

For the purpose of the exercise, AHA Centre manages an on-site coordination centre, to provide assistance for emergency rapid assessment, facilitate information sharing, and coordinate with ASEAN Member States on resources deployed. The ASEAN-Emergency Rapid Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT), which consists of experienced assessment personnels from ASEAN Member States, were also deployed to the field exercise to simulate post-disaster assessment and provide detailed information from the field to the Emergency Operations Centre led by the Government of Thailand.  The AHA Centre’s onsite coordination centre is co-located with the United Nations (UN) On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC). ASEAN-ERAT is also deployed together with the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Team managed by the UN OCHA.

In preparation for the ASEAN Community in 2015, the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Department of the ASEAN Secretariat held its strategic planning workshop this month in Bogor, Indonesia. The workshop aimed to assess the Department’s capacity and articulate opportunities in the Department’s role in assisting in the implementation of the Roadmap to the ASEAN Community 2015, specifically the ASCC Blueprint.

The ASCCD workshop was participated by all the core ASEC staff, including the Project Officers and Attachment Officers. Through the 3-day workshop, the ASCC Department undertook organisational analysis as well as discussed the strategy maps and a balanced scorecard --- at the division, directorate and department levels. Key measures discussed include: setting clearer directions and focus areas for greater implementation and visibility; strengthening intra-department as well as inter-pillar coordination; and initiating and sustaining learning and growth opportunities for the staff.

A book titled “Narrowing the Development Gap in ASEAN: Drivers and Policy Options” will be launched on 17 May 2013 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. A collaboration between ASEAN and AusAID, the book defines and describes the existing gap in ASEAN particularly within and between its newer member states, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam (or CLMV) and the so-called ASEAN-6.

As part of the regular Narrowing the Development Gap (NDG) Lecture Series, public lecture sessions will also be held on 16 May and 17 May in cooperation with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and AusAID, respectively.

The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) has continued to grow as a robust and active mechanism that contributes to regional peace and stability as the region heads to ASEAN Community 2015.   

Since its establishment in 2006, the ADMM has provided a platform for continuous strategic dialogue, consultation, and practical cooperation, said Secretary-General of ASEAN Le Luong Minh yesterday. “This is one channel how the defence sector is  contributing to the community building efforts of ASEAN,” said SG Minh at the 7th ADMM that was held in Brunei Darussalam on 7 May 2013.

I. Introduction

1. We, the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of ASEAN, China, Japan and Korea (ASEAN+3), convened our 16th meeting in Delhi, India, under the co-chairmanship of H.E. Pehin Dato Abd Rahman Ibrahim, Minister of Finance II at the Prime Minister’s Office of Brunei Darussalam, and H.E. Zhu Guangyao, Vice Minister of Finance of the People’s Republic of China. The President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Director of ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) and the Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN were also present at our meeting.

2. We exchanged views on the recent global and regional economic developments and policy responses. We reviewed the progress of regional financial cooperation achieved since our last Meeting, including the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM), AMRO, the Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI), the ASEAN+3 Research Group (RG), and Future Priorities. We also discussed measures to further strengthen our regional financial cooperation in the future.