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July
Foreign Minister: ASEAN Must Not Ignore Human Rights Issues in the Region
Written by Nur Yasmin
VOINews, Jakarta - Foreign Minister Retno stated that ASEAN must continue to nurture cooperation based on goodwill and willingness to learn from each other, during the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) meeting on Tuesday (11/7) in Jakarta.
"ASEAN must not ignore human rights issues. Our differences should not be an excuse for us to abandon pressing human rights issues in our own region," she said.
In this regard, Minister Retno highlighted two areas of ASEAN's cooperation in the field of human rights - the need to nurture a tradition of dialogue and to project ASEAN values at global level.
Minister Retno stated that the global crisis and rivalries have exacerbated the challenges in advancing human rights globally. She encouraged ASEAN to lead by example by prioritizing constructive engagements over finger-pointing exercises.
She emphasized the need for ASEAN countries to reject double standards and the politicization of human rights issues. She urged ASEAN to remain committed to push for the resolution of various human rights issues in the region.
Regarding the enhancement of AICHR's role, the Foreign Minister expressed her hope that AICHR's programs would not be limited to capacity-building alone but could also include other initiatives with tangible impacts.
During the meeting, the situation in Myanmar still dominated the discussions. Apart from the Myanmar situation, the meeting also addressed the issue of trafficking in persons as well as the impact of climate change on human rights.
AICHR Representatives also raised concerns about the escalation of violence and the lack of progress in the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC). On the implementation of the 5PC, Minister Retno stated that this issue would be discussed at the AMM Retreat. (VOI)
July
Indonesia Seeks To Expedite South China Sea CoC Negotiations
Written by Nur Yasmin
VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesia, this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is striving to accelerate the finalization of the negotiations on the Code of Conduct (CoC) on the South China Sea.
Director General of ASEAN Cooperation at the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MFA), Sidharto R. Suryodipuro, noted that the negotiating parties can finalize the CoC, added to the fact that foreign ministers of the association are fully supporting the code finalization.
"The most important thing is to find a way to expedite the CoC deliberation process," Suryodipuro stated during a press conference ahead of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) in Jakarta on Monday (July 10) evening.
The director general noted that the bloc's members have made significant progress in the negotiations.
"In general, we (the MFA) gladly welcome the bilateral engagements at the high level, and we affirm our support for this progress through diplomatic channels," Suryodipuro remarked.
The CoC is expected to serve as an instrument to prevent conflict from occurring, especially between countries that are involved in maritime disputes over the sea.
China has been persistent in its claim of sovereignty on majority of the South China Sea and seen increasingly aggressive by conducting reclamation on islands in the area.
However, the claim is at odds with those laid by Taiwan as well as four ASEAN countries: the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Indonesia has been in a dispute with China over the fishing rights in the former's Natuna Islands, located in the southern part of the disputed waters.
As a result, in 2002, China and ASEAN countries agreed on the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct (DoC) of parties on the South China Sea, which served as Beijing's first support for multilateral settlements on the issue.
The declaration itself was formulated in a bid to achieve several goals, including to build confidence among the parties as well as to arrange a legally binding formal document, which is the CoC. (Antaranews)
July
Foreign Minister Welcomes ASEAN Counterparts for the 56th AMM
Written by Nur Yasmin
VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, on Tuesday, welcomed the arrival of ASEAN foreign ministers ahead of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) in Jakarta.
ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn arrived earlier, followed by Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Enrique A. Manalo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor-Leste Bendito Freitas, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof.
Of the 10 ASEAN member countries, only Myanmar will not attend the meeting following the regional organization's decision to exclude Myanmar's political representatives from various high-level meetings, as Myanmar's military junta has not implemented the ASEAN's five-point consensus.
The five-point consensus is a decision agreed upon by ASEAN leaders and Myanmar's junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing in April 2021 that aims to help resolve the political crisis of Myanmar.
The consensus calls for an immediate end to violence, holding of dialogue among all parties concerned, and the provision of humanitarian assistance to Myanmar, among others.
The series of AMM events are being held in Jakarta from July 10 to July 14, 2023.
The events comprise 18 meetings, including a meeting to discuss the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), a meeting of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), an AMM plenary session, and a retreat session.
Furthermore, the agenda includes ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings with ASEAN dialogue partners, namely India, New Zealand, Russia, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.
It also includes the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
The ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting will discuss several issues, including the Myanmar crisis and the South China Sea.
As the ASEAN chair this year, Indonesia has raised the theme "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth," which reflects its focus on directing cooperation to strengthen ASEAN's relevance in responding to regional and global challenges and to build ASEAN's position as a center of economic growth in the region. (Antaranews)
July
Foreign Minister Retno: Southeast Asian Region Must Remain Free of Nuclear Weapons
Written by Nur Yasmin
VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi stated that Southeast Asia must remain a region free of nuclear weapons.
Foreign Minister Retno conveyed this statement when chairing the Meeting of the Commission of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ) on Tuesday (11/7) in Jakarta.
During the meeting, Retno said the risk of using nuclear weapons use is higher today than at any time in recent history.
"Southeast Asia is still not a truly safe region as long as there are countries that have nuclear weapons," she said.
Retno also expressed disappointment with countries that still adhere to military doctrines based on nuclear weapons in the Southeast Asian region. With nuclear weapons, one miscalculation can trigger a global disaster.
"The maintenance of peace and stability in the region is our priority. It is our foundation to turn the region into the Epicentrum of Growth. Therefore, we must keep Southeast Asia as a region free of nuclear weapons," Foreign Minister Retno said.
The SEANWFZ Treaty has contributed to global disarmament efforts and the non-proliferation regime. However, over the past 25 years, no nuclear weapon state has signed the SEANWFZ Treaty Protocol.
Together with other ASEAN Foreign Ministers, the Indonesian Foreign Minister called for nuclear weapon states to immediately sign the SEANWFZ Treaty Protocol.
Previously, in 2022, the SEANWFZ Commission had agreed to explore the option for nuclear weapon states to sign the SEANWFZ Treaty Protocol first, as long as they are committed to this protocol.
"We must unite to create a path towards a nuclear weapon-free region," Retno said.
In Indonesia's national statement, Retno raised the ratification of the SEANWFZ Treaty Protocol by nuclear weapon states and the importance of the SEANWFZ Treaty Biennial Resolution.
During the meeting, ASEAN Foreign Ministers affirmed the political will to urge nuclear weapon states to accede to the SEANWFZ Treaty Protocol. The meeting also discussed the implementation of the SEANWFZ Treaty Protocol action plan review. In addition, the foreign ministers agreed to assign a working group to discuss this issue further. The meeting also successfully adopted a Concept Note on the Possible Joint Initiatives of OPANAL and ASEAN in 2023. (VOI)