PH Calls to Expedite COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund in ASEAN Meeting on Public Health Emergencies
Philippine Senior Officials’ Meeting Leader Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso during the 5th ACCWG-PHE Meeting.
PASAY CITY 13 November 2020 – Philippine Leader to the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso led the Philippine delegation at the 5th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies (ACCWG-PHE) which was held via video conference on 09 November 2020.
Following the last meeting held in October, ASEAN’s Senior Officials in all three Community Pillars and the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN discussed the progress of ASEAN’s key initiatives in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Philippines reiterated its call to expedite the effective use of the soon-to-be operationalized COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund and encouraged ASEAN’s external partners to support and contribute to the Fund and to the recently created ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies for Public Health Emergencies, which is another mechanism to bolster ASEAN’s resilience in dealing with future health emergencies.
The Philippines also underlined the importance of results-based monitoring and evaluation of the region’s implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF). “Achieving sustainability of recovery efforts is rooted in the diligent monitoring of our implementation of the ACRF,” remarked Ambassador Buensuceso.
The meeting discussed progress in ASEAN’s key initiatives in establishing the ASEAN strategic framework for public health emergencies and ASEAN travel corridor arrangements to stimulate economic recovery, among other measures.
ACCWG-PHE is the body tasked to coordinate cross-cutting concerns in ASEAN’s collective response to the pandemic and future public health emergencies. ACCWG-PHE’s recommendations will be endorsed to the ASEAN Coordinating Council for subsequent approval of the Leaders at the 37th ASEAN Summit this week. END