PH Advocate for Strengthening of ASEAN Institutional Effectiveness 

Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso (leftmost, first row) and Ambassador Luis T. Cruz (leftmost, second row) join other delegates at the Second Meeting of the High-Level Task Force on the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision held in Bangkok on 22-24 June 2022. (ASEAN Secretariat photo)

BANGKOK 28 June 2022 – Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso and Ambassador Luis T. Cruz, Eminent Person and High-Level Representative of the Philippines, respectively, continued to advocate for the strengthening of ASEAN’s institutional arrangements at the Second Meeting of the High-Level Task Force (HLTF) on the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision held in Bangkok, Thailand from 22 to 24 June 2022. 

Ambassador Buensuceso stressed the crucial importance of enhancing ASEAN’s institutional effectiveness in order for ASEAN to be able to strongly reinforce ASEAN Centrality, especially when dealing with its Dialogue Partners. This includes the strengthening of the role of the ASEAN Secretary-General, empowering the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR), institutionalizing the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the streamlining of relevant ASEAN bodies and entities, particularly the Joint Consultative Mechanism (JCM).

She underscored that these proposed improvements would entail the amendment of the ASEAN Charter, which should be positively considered by ASEAN Member States in order to bolster ASEAN Community-building and successfully realize the Post-2025 Vision.

During the initial meeting of the Joint Working Group of the HLTF held prior to the main Meeting, Ambassador Cruz highlighted the need to be realistic in acknowledging the limits of consensus decision-making especially in crisis situations and serious breach of the ASEAN Charter. 

The HLTF is expected to submit to the Leaders during the Summit in November this year an initial report on the Core Elements of the Post-2025 Vision. The Philippines has submitted its initial list of priorities it wants ASEAN to focus on in the future, including a rules-based international order, protection of marginalized groups including migrant workers, a more economically integrated and resilient ASEAN in the face of public health emergencies, among others. 

The HLTF is tasked to chart the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision which should reflect the future development and aspirations of ASEAN towards an integrated, peaceful and stable community. END