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Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Asean to be brought to grassroots, says Arroyo
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
With Minerva B. Gerodias
CEBU CITY -- After the red carpets were rolled up and the agreements signed, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said it's payback time for the grassroots of the Asean who will benefit from the accords for peace and economic prosperity in the region.
"This summit broke a new dawn as we continue to foster peace and stability, economic prosperity and claim our collective destiny," Arroyo said in her speech at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), where she bid farewell to 15 heads of state after the East Asia Summit.
Sun.Star Network Online's 12th Asean Summit Watch
"We want to bring Asean to the grassroots. If you look at our agreements, they were very much people-centered... Our agenda was filled with initiatives that will provide a concrete payback to the ordinary citizens of our region," she told the press when asked about the biggest achievement of the four-day summit in Cebu.
The agreements on the protection of migrant workers, mutual recognition of nursing services, energy independence, Avian flu protection and disaster-preparedness, she added, were aimed at protecting the poor in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
"With the Asean moving forward towards firm accords on its own charter, security, overseas workers and trade, the prospect for the region becoming a formidable bloc in the world is well within our reach," she said in her speech.
Open trade
The summit ended Monday with no major disruptions, to the relief of local organizers dismayed by the postponement last month. The postponement was blamed on bad weather, but came amid warnings from five embassies about imminent terror attacks.
"From our caring and sharing community, we can become a dynamo as the hub and core of East Asia, immersed in robust, open trade from within the region and across the oceans-building security and prosperity in millions of communities from east to west," she added.
Since the leaders signed the Asean Convention on Counter-Terrorism, which will be further taken up in Indonesia this March, Arroyo said the group expressed "grave concern" about the developments in North Korea and urged it to "abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs."
Arroyo told reporters that while some leaders agreed to coax North Korea rather use "a language of animosity," the leaders were unanimous in their call to "de-nuclearize" the state.
The Asean leaders, she said during her speech, dedicate the accords to "a safer world, a realm of human security and greater and deeper friendships within Asia, bridging to all global capitals."
Charter
The Asean leaders have adopted the Eminent Persons Group's recommendation to make the 39-year-old association a rules-based one, instead of relying solely on consensus, and come up with its own charter.
Among the agreements signed during the summit were the Cebu Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Nursing Services and the landmark Asean Convention on Counter-terrorism.
One of its immediate products will be a terrorism database that would include a list of the region's most-wanted terror suspects, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda told the Associated Press.
At Monday's East Asia Summit, the 16 leaders reaffirmed their collective commitment to ensure regional security on energy for their growing economies.
Signed at the main briefing room of the CICC, the Cebu Declaration on East Asia Energy Security binds its signatories to pursue investments in energy resource and infrastructure development through greater private sector involvement.
Half
The leaders recognized that the energy needs of the region are growing rapidly and that having reliable, adequate and affordable energy supplies is essential for strong economic growth and competitiveness.
The leaders also recognized the need to strengthen renewable energy development such as biofuels and hydropower resources, as "these resources are important aspects of our national energy policies."
They also pointed out the need to tap nuclear power to meet an increasing demand in the region.
Apart from the 10 Asean members, the other signatories are Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.
Put together, these 16 countries represent more than half of the world's population. (Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Baguio. (January 16, 2007 issue)
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