His Excellency Mr Enrique A Manalo delivering the ASEAN Lecture on 23 November 2016 (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)
Wednesday, 23 November 2016 – His Excellency Mr Enrique A Manalo, Undersecretary for Policy at the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Philippines’ ASEAN SOM Leader for 2017, delivered a Lecture on the Philippines’ priorities as his country takes over the ASEAN Chairmanship next year at the ASEAN Lecture Series organised by the ASEAN Studies Centre.
Mr Manalo underlined the importance his country placed on being the ASEAN Chair as the organisation celebrates its 50th anniversary next year. He outlined the six priorities that the Philippines will pursue. The first is to achieve a people-oriented and people-centred ASEAN by promoting human rights, the rights of vulnerable groups, and cultural diversity. The second is to ensure peace and stability in the region through advancing peace and reconciliation efforts as well as efforts to prevent the use of drugs and counter violent extremism. Third, ASEAN will increase maritime security cooperation by seeking to complete the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea by next year. Fourth, the Philippines will work to promote inclusive and innovation-led economic growth across the region by placing special emphasis on micro/small/medium-scale enterprises, the digital economy, and the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). Fifth, ASEAN will work to strengthen its resilience to climate change, humanitarian crises and natural disasters. Last but not least, the Philippines will endeavour with its fellow member states to make ASEAN a global player and a model of regionalism by giving ASEAN a voice to channel its collective opinions in the many international avenues.
Participants at the ASEAN Lecture (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)
More than 80 people, including diplomats, government officials, business leaders, academics, students and members of the media attended the lecture.
We invite you to access Mr Manalo’s Lecture here and click here for his PPT presentation.