DFA Official Discusses Trends in Southeast Asia, ASEAN’s Pandemic Response
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Junever M. Mahilum-West talks about ASEAN’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Philippines’ engagement in ASEAN during the crisis.
MANILA 28 October 2020 – Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Affairs Junever M. Mahilum-West, as one of the panelists of the 5th Katipunan Conference, discussed developments in Southeast Asia and prospects for ASEAN cooperation at a webinar on COVID-19 and the strategic regional environment, entitled “Reading the Tea Leaves: Future Developments in the Region”, organized by the University of the Philippines (UP) Centre for Integrative and Development Studies and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Philippines on 26 October 2020.
Assistant Secretary Mahilum-West said ASEAN will continue being a significant venue for collective action in addressing traditional and emerging issues and engaging major powers, specifically as the hub of negotiations on matters pertaining to the South China Sea issue.
She also cited how ASEAN was able to adapt to the challenges brought about by the pandemic, and continue its engagement with external partners through video conferencing. As a matter of fact, ASEAN is already crafting its pandemic recovery plan even while the ravages of COVID-19 continue.
“COVID-19 could be viewed as a test of ASEAN’s relevance... It is still too early to measure the full extent of the impact of COVID-19 and the responses of individual countries and groupings, but ASEAN has manifested that it can quickly adapt and respond to the pandemic,” said Assistant Secretary Mahilum-West.
Assistant Secretary Mahilum-West offered prospects for the region amid trends brought about by the pandemic, namely: (1) accelerated digitization prompting discussions on cybersecurity and the need to narrow the digital gap; (2) the role of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 in the way the region will bounce back; (3) the potential of sub-regional development groupings; (4) heightened focus on the environment and climate change, and the work of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity; (5) upscaling the labor force and the role of the ASEAN TVET Council in enhancing competitiveness of human resources; and (6) the importance of ASEAN Centrality through mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum, and the Regional Comprehensive Partnership Agreement which is awaited to be signed this year, among others.
She highlighted the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, which is based on the principles of ASEAN Centrality, inclusiveness, consensus-building, and utilizing diplomatic rather than military approaches in conflict resolution, for promoting cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting also underlined the crucial importance of multilateralism in tackling traditional and emerging transboundary issues such as COVID-19.
Other panelists included German Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel and Australian National University’s Strategic Defense Studies Centre Professor Brendan Taylor. END