PH Joins 32nd ASEAN-Australia Forum
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs and Temporary Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Leader and Director-General of ASEAN-Philippines Junever M. Mahilum-West delivers her interventions during the 32nd ASEAN-Australia Forum where she underscores the importance of increased cooperation in mitigating marine plastic debris, capacity building in biosecurity measures to curb and contain zoonotic diseases, disaster risk reduction, and protecting the people of the region against health risks, including on mental health. (DFA-ASEAN photo)
MANILA 21 May 2020 – Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs and Temporary Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Leader and Director-General of ASEAN-Philippines Junever M. Mahilum-West, along with fellow SOM Leaders in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General, and Deputy Secretary of the Indo-Pacific Group Justin Hayhurst of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia with Senior Officials from Australia, convened the 32nd ASEAN-Australia Forum via videoconference on 18 May 2020.
The meeting discussed priority areas for enhanced ASEAN-Australia cooperation through health security, stability, and economic recovery to ramp up the region’s resilience to overcome COVID-19 and meet the threat of future pandemics.
Senior Officials of ASEAN Member States and Deputy Secretary Hayhurst gave situationers and updates on their respective approaches to fighting COVID-19. They agreed to boost cooperation in health security, stability, and economic recovery through collaboration between health and medical research institutions on infectious disease prevention, and detection and control, as well as enhanced inclusion of ASEAN Member States in critical efforts to develop an effective vaccine, therapeutics and diagnostics, biosecurity risk mitigation for emerging and re-emerging infectious zoonotic diseases, promoting measures to guard against disruptions of the global supply chain, and support for second livelihoods, migrant workers, informal workers, and other vulnerable groups.
Assistant Secretary Mahilum-West Iooked forward to increased participation of Philippine health professionals in ASEAN-AU fellowships related to infectious diseases. The Philippines also raised the link between biodiversity and illegal wildlife trade to pandemics, and conveyed hope for broader cooperation on potential pandemic hazards including zoonotic and foodborne diseases.
The Philippines acknowledged Australia’s long-standing commitment to the peace and stability of the region, its support for addressing maritime security challenges and its expressions of concern over recent incidents in the South China Sea.
The Philippines and other ASEAN delegations also reiterated their call for adherence to the rule of law, including the 1982 United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the exercise of self-restraint, resolution of disputes by peaceful means and undertaking cooperative activities to build trust and confidence especially at this time of a global pandemic.
Finally, both sides agreed to work together in helping the region emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with the Australian approach aligning closely to ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and its principles of openness, transparency, inclusiveness, respect for sovereignty and international law that befits the close, coordinated response of ASEAN and Australia, first to become Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in the region. END
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs and Temporary Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Leader and Director-General of ASEAN-Philippines Junever M. Mahilum-West, as seen on screen with Australian Deputy Secretary of the Indo-Pacific Group Justin Hayhurst and her fellow ASEAN SOM Leaders during the 32nd ASEAN-Australia Forum. Initially set as an in-person Senior Officials meeting in Australia last March 2020, the reconvening of the meeting by videoconference demonstrated the ability of ASEAN and its partners to adapt to the “new normal” at the time of COVID-19. (DFA-ASEAN photo)