ASEAN Senior Officials Discuss Regional Developments During Joint Consultative Meeting

Philippines’ ASEAN Senior Official Meetings’ Leader and Acting Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro in the Joint Consultative Meeting (JCM) held on 22 September 2021. (DFA-ASEAN photo) 

MANILA 23 September 2021 – Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa Lazaro headed the Philippine delegation to the Joint Consultative Meeting (JCM) on 22 September 2021 held via videoconference. Together with other ASEAN Senior Officials, she discussed developments in the region and preparations for the upcoming 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in October 2021. 

The Philippine delegation included Director-General of the ASEAN National Secretariat of the Philippines Junever Mahilum-West, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN Noel Servigon, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary Noel Macalalad.

The Meeting reviewed the implementation of ASEAN 2021 priorities and key deliverables, cross-sectoral and cross-pillar issues/coordination, and implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025.

The Philippines also reiterated its proposal for the Joint Consultative Meeting (JCM) to have a retreat session to brainstorm and enhance its role in addressing the increasing cross-cutting and cross-pillar coordination and issues of ASEAN.

“While the initial proposal by the Philippines was to hold a physical JCM Retreat Session at the ASEAN Secretariat in 2021, the Philippines expressed its flexibility to convene the retreat session through virtual means to discuss important issues and proposals for a more responsive JCM”, emphasized Acting Undersecretary Lazaro.

The ASEAN Secretariat also reported on the positive developments and engagements between ASEAN and Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, Pakistan, Chile, Germany, France and Italy. The Meeting welcomed ASEAN’s admission of the UK as a Dialogue Partner and the recognition of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner (SDP) at the 54th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting last August.

The JCM is composed of ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting, ASEAN Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting, Senior Officials' Committee for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council, and the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN. END

ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting, ASEAN Senior Economic Officials’ Meeting, Senior Officials' Committee for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council, ASEAN Council for Permanent Representatives and the ASEAN Secretariat convene for the biannual Joint Consultative Meeting. (DFA-ASEAN photo)