Message from San Lwin

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Photo Credit: © ASEAN Secretariat/Kusuma Pandu Wijaya
Message from San Lwin
Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community
5 Dec 2024
ASEAN Identity and Community Building

It is an honour to assume the role of Deputy Secretary-General of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) as the Lao PDR concludes its Chairmanship of the ASCC.

I commend the Lao PDR’s exemplary leadership in advancing ASEAN Connectivity and Resilience and laying a solid foundation for our collective future. A connected and mobile ASEAN is paramount to our region’s development.

In this edition of The ASEAN, Suanesavanh Vignaket, the ASCC Council Chair and the Lao PDR Minister of Culture, Information, and Tourism, discusses the Lao PDR’s significant strides in promoting cultural development, environmental cooperation, and strengthening health resilience within ASEAN.

Key achievements include the adoption of the Vang Vieng Declaration on Promoting the Small and Medium-sized Cultural Enterprises aligned with the Green Growth for Sustainable Development, which emphasises the integration of cultural industries with sustainable practices and supports the development of small and medium-sized cultural enterprises. Additionally, the Lao PDR championed the adoption of the ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP29), which outlines ASEAN’s commitment to addressing climate change and its impacts on the region, the endorsement of the ASEAN Joint Statement on Biodiversity to The Sixteenth Meeting of The Conference of The Parties to The Convention on Biological Diversity.

The Lao PDR also prioritised promoting the role of women and children, as exemplified by its adoption of the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening the Care Economy and Resilience Toward the ASEAN Community Post-2025. Two critical documents, the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Biosafety and Biosecurity and the Plan of Action to Operationalise the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Ending Inequalities and Getting on Track to End AIDS by 2030, demonstrate the Lao PDR’s dedication to ensuring health resilience. These initiatives foster a vibrant cultural landscape, a sustainable future, and a healthier ASEAN region.

Enabling people’s mobility to access education, security, employment, and other opportunities is a priority for the ASCC. As climate change increasingly influences people’s mobility, the ASCC Labour and Civil Division shares the findings of the ASEAN Migration Outlook’s second edition, which highlights the impact of climate change on labour and migration.

Our colleagues from the Connectivity Division share the progress in strategic measures of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, which includes sustainable infrastructure, digital innovation, seamless logistics, regulatory excellence, and people mobility. They stress the importance of an economically and socially integrated ASEAN.

As we build the ASEAN 2045 Community, the ASCC has a pivotal role in shaping our region’s future. We must strive to create a connected, innovative, and resilient ASEAN. To achieve these goals, we must work together as a united ASEAN community and strengthen cooperation among Member States and their partners.

As Mr. Martin Kent, HM Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, and Ambassador Sarah Tiffin of the United Kingdom Mission to ASEAN share in an article, our partners like the UK are helping ASEAN build robust ties between our economies and people.

This year marks 35 years of ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK) Dialogue Relations, which were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the ASEAN Leaders Summit and Related meetings in September. Ambassador Lee Jang-keun of the ROK Mission to ASEAN discusses the expanding and deepening cooperation between ASEAN and the ROK.

I look forward to working with Malaysia, the incoming ASCC Council Chair, on their priorities to promote inclusivity and sustainability in our region.

Together, we can build a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable ASEAN. Let us embrace the opportunities and work towards a brighter future for all.

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