[Title] Chairperson's Statement of the 12th ASEAN Summit by the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, "One Caring and Sharing Community"
1. We, the Heads of State and/or Government of ASEAN Member Countries, had a very productive 12th ASEAN Summit Meeting, on 13 January 2007 in Cebu, Philippines.
2. We exchanged views on regional and international developments, focusing on how we may deepen ASEAN integration to better foster the region's sustainable development, stability, security and prosperity for the benefit of all our peoples.
3. We resolved to uphold the centrality of ASEAN and to enhance its standing as an effective driving force for regional initiatives and collective responses to the challenges and opportunities facing our region, countries and peoples. We stressed that the ASEAN community we are building shall be a community of peoples caring for and sharing their human, natural and cultural resources and strengths for their common good and mutual benefit.
Cebu Declaration on the Blueprint of the ASEAN Charter
4. We recognized that ASEAN must manage the key challenges of regional integration, globalization, economic growth and new technologies. In doing so, we acknowledged that ASEAN must remain cohesive with strong institutions and responsive policies for regional community building. To help realize this vision, we signed the Cebu Declaration on the Blueprint of the ASEAN Charter to endorse the Report of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on the ASEAN Charter as one of the basis of the drafting of the ASEAN Charter together with our views and directives given at the 11th and 12th ASEAN Summit. We also directed the High Level Task Force to complete the drafting of the ASEAN Charter in time for the 13th Summit in Singapore in 2007.
An ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
5. We recognized ASEAN's progress in creating a caring environment that prioritizes the quality of life of its peoples. We agreed to address the special needs of the vulnerable and disadvantaged, through people-centered integration. To reinforce this environment in the context of building a stronger regional identity, we agreed to hold ASEAN Day commemorative activities in each our countries..{sic}
6. We agreed to strengthen the protection and promotion of the rights and welfare of women and children within and between our countries. Towards this end, we will mainstream their concerns in our national and regional plans.
7. We recognized the contributions of our migrant workers to the development and prosperity of our region. We, therefore, issued the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers as a concrete manifestation of our collective commitment to attain this objective. We directed our officials to implement the Declaration and to develop, in accordance with its provisions, effective mechanisms to safeguard our migrant workers, including an ASEAN instrument to protect and promote the rights of migrant workers, consistent with our vision of building a just, humane and democratic ASEAN Community. We also instructed the Secretary General to report annually on the progress of these directives.
8. We convened the Second Special Session on HIV and AIDS to stem and reverse the spread of HIV and AIDS in the region. We agreed to strengthen national AIDS policies and programs to protect persons living with HIV and AIDS, as well as other affected groups, from social stigma. We agreed to remove obstacles in the access of quality products and medicines for HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment. We adopted the Third ASEAN Work Program on HIV and AIDS (AWP III) for 2006-2010. We expressed support for the work of the ASEAN Task Force on AIDS (ATFOA) in strengthening regional responses to HIV and AIDS through multi-sectoral participation. We expressed appreciation for the assistance extended by UNAIDS to ASEAN in implementing regional HIV and AIDS initiatives.
9. We agreed to strengthen our efforts to achieve our common goals of eradicating poverty and hunger in ASEAN, as determined by the World Food Summit, the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the VAP. We undertook to support further resource mobilization for agriculture and rural development in the ASEAN. We adopted the ASEAN Statement calling upon the Paris Club to seriously consider the Philippine proposal, raised at the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, for debt-equity arrangements to fund MDG projects.
10. We agreed to support the operations of the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, based in the Philippines to actively promote biodiversity conservation in the region. We also agreed to pursue marine biodiversity projects in the region.
11. We discussed the transboundary haze pollution in the region and noted the work of the ASEAN Environment Ministers in developing effective strategies to address this problem and in mobilizing resources to implement the Plans of Action in dealing with Transboundary Haze Pollution. We stressed the importance of bringing the Haze issue to the attention of other countries and international organizations. We noted that the ASEAN Environment Ministers had adopted the Cebu Resolution on Sustainable Development to address critical and persistent environmental problems that generate economic and social dislocations. We also agreed to work on an ASEAN Leaders Declaration on Environmental Sustainability to be issued at our next Summit in Singapore.
12. We welcomed the progress in implementing the VAP and decisions from previous ASEAN and Related Summits. We urged Member Countries and Dialogue Partners to continue contributing to the ASEAN Development Fund to support ASEAN's integration. We tasked our Ministers to take steps to fully implement the VAP and other ASEAN action plans and decisions, and we directed the Secretary-General to update us on these matters at our next Summit.
An ASEAN Community by 2015
13. We affirmed our strong commitment to accelerate the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015 as envisioned in the ASEAN Vision 2020 and the ASEAN Concord II and agreed to sign the Cebu Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015.
ASEAN Security Community
14. We welcomed the steady progress made in implementing ASEAN Security Community (ASC) - related activities through the VAP and the ASC Plan of Action, including the convening of the First ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting, as well as advances in the work of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the ASEAN-China Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
15. We signed the ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism to enhance the region's capacity to confront terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and to deepen counter-terrorism cooperation among our law enforcement and other relevant authorities. We also recognized the importance of inter-faith dialogue in fostering greater understanding among our peoples and pledged to increase cooperation in this area.
ASEAN Economic Community
16. We agreed to hasten the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015 and to transform ASEAN into a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labour, and freer flow of capital.
17. We expressed serious concern over the negative impact that prolonged high oil prices have on economic growth and development in the region. To address this problem in a strategic manner, we agreed to deepen ASEAN energy cooperation, especially for key ASEAN infrastructure projects, including the ASEAN power grid and Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline. Our ultimate aim is to create an open energy market. We also stressed that ASEAN must improve energy use efficiency, and must diversify its energy supply by developing such alternative energy sources as biofuels and civilian nuclear power. In this regard, we agreed to pay close attention to the security, environmental, health and safety dimensions of the energy sector and we tasked our officials to look into a regional nuclear safety regime.
Narrowing Development Gap
18. We noted that the Mid-term Review of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan has recommended new project areas to benefit the ASEAN New Members, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. We recognized that the IAI needs more resources to meet their urgent needs and those of the ASEAN sub-regions. We also called for developing a coherent and integrated approach to infrastructure development, particularly transport linkages, in order to narrow development gaps.
19. We agreed to promote greater education cooperation among our countries and to strengthen education within them, in order to narrow our region's development gaps, to prepare our youth for regional leadership, and to increase the competitiveness of our peoples. We commended the contribution of the ASEAN University Network (AUN) towards this effort and called for the strengthening of the Network to facilitate educational access.
Myanmar
20. We took note of the briefing by Myanmar on the latest developments in the implementation of its Roadmap to Democracy. We encouraged Myanmar to make greater progress towards national reconciliation. In this regard, we called for the release of those placed under detention and for effective dialogue with all parties concerned. Furthermore, we agreed on the need to preserve ASEAN's credibility as an effective regional organization by demonstrating a capacity to manage important issues within the region.
ASEAN's External Relations
21. We appreciated the dynamism and diversity of our cooperation with each of our Dialogue Partners, particularly for integration and the narrowing of development gaps. We looked forward to their continued engagement with ASEAN.
22. We welcomed the accession of France and Timor Leste to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia during our Summit. Their accession enhances the Treaty as our principal regional instrument governing peaceful inter-state relations, and should be followed by closer peace and security cooperation with ASEAN in the region and in the United Nations and other international fora
23. We welcomed the progress of free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. We underscored the importance of FTA's in strengthening ASEAN's global competitiveness and its cooperation with its Dialogue Partners. We encouraged all Dialogue Partners to work with ASEAN on the early conclusion of their respective FTA's. These FTA's, taken together, will deepen East Asian economic integration, which will benefit the peoples of the region.
East Asia Summit
24. We looked forward in convening the Second East Asia Summit (EAS) on 15 January 2007. Reaffirming that ASEAN should consolidate its leading and central role in the evolving regional architecture; we are committed to ensuring that our meeting will build on the success of the First EAS. We looked forward to signing the Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security which would help shape a common regional policy for energy issues, including the development and use of alternative and renewable forms of energy, promotion of energy efficiency and resource and infrastructure development through greater private sector involvement. We tasked our officials to continue working with our EAS partners in coming up with concrete projects to enhance our energy security.
25. We exchanged views on the future of East Asian cooperation. We agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation with other EAS partners and reaffirmed that the ASEAN Plus Three process would be the main vehicle towards achieving an East Asian community.
ASEAN - Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
26. We welcomed the Philippine initiative to forge closer cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which is ASEAN's immediate neighbor and a potential partner in promoting peace, security and prosperity in the region. We tasked our officials to identify means of strengthening our linkages with the SCO, in addition to the existing arrangement between our Secretariats.
Regional and International Issues
27. We agreed to continue our cooperation to maintain security, stability and peace in our region. Towards this end, we will continue collective action to address the challenges posed by such serious threats as terrorism and transnational crime, avian influenza and other major infectious diseases, environmental degradation, natural disasters, destabilizing increases in oil prices, and the negative impact of rapid globalization and growth.
28. We reaffirmed that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is an international priority. We, therefore, urged the DPRK to desist from conducting further nuclear tests, to take concrete and effective steps to implement the 19 September 2005 Joint Statement, and to rejoin, at an early date, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We emphasized that DPRK must effectively address the humanitarian concerns of the international community.
29. We fully support the Six-Party Talks and other diplomatic efforts to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue. At the same time, we agreed that the international community must convey in clear terms to the DPRK that the latter must denuclearize in a verifiable manner. We, therefore, reaffirmed our commitment to the full implementation of UNSC Resolutions 1695 and 1718 for this purpose,
30. We expressed our continuing concern over instability in Iraq and the Middle East. We called for dialogue between all contending sides, to secure national reconciliation in Iraq, and a durable and equitable settlement between Israel and Palestine, consistent with the relevant United Nations resolutions.
31. We reaffirmed our commitment to the United Nations and our support for its comprehensive reform, including the enhancement of the voice and role of developing countries in its structure and processes. We welcomed the message to ASEAN of the new United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, and expressed our pride that he is from our own region and our best wishes for his success in his important tasks.
WTO
32. We took note of the message from WTO Director General Pascal Lamy on the status of the negotiations on the WTO talks and the Doha Development Round. We adopted the ASEAN Statement on the WTO to express support for the resumption of the Doha Round
33. We welcomed Viet Nam's accession to the WTO and reiterated our support for early accession of Lao PDR into the WTO.
Other Matters
34. We supported the continued efforts of the ASEAN Foundation to foster a greater sense of regional identity among our peoples. We noted the Report of the Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation and agreed to ensure full private sector involvement in our community building activities.
35. We welcomed the report of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and expressed our continuing support for its role in enhancing private sector engagement in ASEAN economic policy discussions. We also underscored the need for closer coordination and regular engagement between the private sector and relevant public agencies in the implementation of the ABAC recommendations and ASEAN's economic initiatives and programmes.
36. We were pleased with the innovative proposals made by the President of the 27th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) Assembly on making ASEAN more effective and meaningful for Asia and the world, and on enhancing ASEAN-AIPO interaction.
37. We welcomed the report of the Chair of the 5th ASEAN People's Assembly (APA) on the outcome of the 5th APA that was held in Manila on 8-9 December 2006. We took into consideration the 5th APA's recommendations on how to strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and the region's civil society organizations.