Coffee Table Book on PH’s ASEAN 2017 Chairmanship to be Launched on 51st ASEAN Day
MANILA 10 August 2018 – A year after its successful chairmanship and hosting of the 50th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, the Philippines is launching a coffee table book on ASEAN 2017 on the occasion of the 51st ASEAN Day Diplomatic Reception on 10 August 2018.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the book “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World: The Philippines’ Chairmanship of ASEAN’s Golden Year” showcases the successes of the Philippines as it chaired ASEAN on its milestone golden anniversary.
“As President Rodrigo Duterte said during his State of the Nation Address last month, the 2017 Philippine chairmanship of ASEAN has shown the world what we are capable of when we work together,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said.
The ASEAN 2017 coffee table book chronicles our country’s achievements as ASEAN chair, and recognizes the hard work of the women and men who made our hosting year a success.
Among the country’s achievements under its watch as ASEAN chair include the signing of the landmark ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, and the adoption of a Framework for a Code of Conduct of Parties (COC) in the South China Sea.
The coffee table book is a product of the collaboration between the DFA, through the Office of ASEAN Affairs, and the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).
“I would like extend my gratitude to Secretary Martin Andanar and his team at PCOO for making this book project possible. PCOO has always been a partner of the DFA in efforts to increase public awareness on ASEAN and the benefits that Filipinos reap as citizens of ASEAN,” Secretary Cayetano said.
Assistant Foreign Affairs Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Hellen B. De La Vega said the Philippines’ celebration of 51st ASEAN Day is a tribute to ASEAN’s contributions to regional community-building in pursuit of peace and security, economic progress, and people-development. “This is amidst the occasional emerging regional and pressing issues that the region has faced which made it more resilient, strengthening ASEAN’s bond over the past years,” she said.
The ASEAN has served as a platform for member states and external partners to discuss relevant issues affecting the region. Decisions are made through the long-cherished principles of consensus, consultation, and ASEAN centrality, making ASEAN among the most successful yet enduring regional organizations in the world today.
Established on 08 August 1967 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration—later on referred to as the ASEAN Declaration—by the five founding members of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, the regional grouping has grown into an intergovernmental organization composed of ten countries from Southeast Asia.
For this year’s ASEAN Day celebration, the DFA has adopted the theme “Towards a Resilient and Innovative ASEAN”, in support of Singapore’s 2018 chairmanship theme of “Resilience and Innovation” that builds on a strong ASEAN Community through technology, connectivity, and financial adaptability. END