UNGA 74
Security Council meeting
Statement on the cooperation between UN and ASEAN
January 30, New York
Thank you, Mr President,
I thank Secretary General for his excellent overview and we warmly welcome, the Secretary General of ASEAN and thank him for a comprehensive briefing on the cooperation between ASEAN and the United Nations. Let me also congratulate Vietnam on assuming the Chairmanship of ASEAN this year.
Mr President,
ASEAN has played a significant role in providing peace and enhancing security in the Southeast Asia region and globally for 52 years. We support ASEAN´s commitment in promoting peace and security in the wider Asia-Pacific region as well as to resolving disputes peacefully, which include full respect for legal and diplomatic processes.
Further, in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, we support deepening of the UN cooperation with regional and sub-regional organizations in order to ensure a more effective prevention and mitigation of conflicts.
We acknowledge ASEAN´s commitment for multilateralism and rules-based international order. Today´s challenges are global by scope and nature and must be tackled jointly. Multilateral cooperation is a key in contributing to the regional peace and security.
We commend ASEANs work with addressing emerging non-traditional security issues such as climate change. As climate change is the most serious challenge in the near future, we need to accelerate this work.
We recognize ASEAN’s interest in promoting cybersecurity and we welcome the important steps that ASEAN has taken in building a rules-based cyberspace including the implementation of the 11 voluntary, non-binding norms of responsible State behavior as contained in the 2015 GGE report. A global digital cooperation is needed to address the emerging non-traditional, cross-sectoral threats to peace and security and we welcome ASEAN´s efforts to enhance cooperation with the relevant UN bodies to combat the threats that emerge from cyberspace.
We welcome the efforts of ASEAN Member States to advance discussions with China on a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea. We encourage both parties, ASEAN and China to implement the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in its entirety.
We count on ASEAN to play an active role in settling international disputes with peaceful means and in providing necessary support to its member states to address the root causes of crises. We note the recent Order of the International Court of Justice indicating provisional measures for the protection of the Rohingya in Myanmar. We expect that Myanmar will duly comply with the Court Order and report back on measures taken within timeline indicated by the Court.
Mr President,
In conclusion, we express our support for “ASEAN Community Vision 2025: Forging Ahead Together”. We think that the cooperation between the United Nations and ASEAN could be further strengthened to maintain peace and security and accelerate prosperity for the 650 million people in the region.
Thank you, Mr President!