05 December 2016 — Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN, officially received the chairmanship of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) for 2017 during the ceremonies at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta on December 01.
“It is with trepidation and humility that I accept the responsibility of chairing this important body. Trepidation because the CPR is no ordinary ASEAN body and this is no ordinary chairmanship. Humility because I have the fine examples behind me, of Myanmar, Malaysia and Laos, who each has delivered an outstanding set of accomplishments during their respective chairmanships,” Ambassador Buensuceso said after accepting the CPR chairmanship from Ambassador Latsamy Keomany, Permanent Representative of Laos to ASEAN.
The ceremony was witnessed by ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh, and the members of the CPR and officials of the ASEAN Secretariat.
Ambassador Buensuceso will also assume the chairmanship of the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC), ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR) Governing Council, ASEAN-China Center (ACC) Joint Council and the East Asia Summit (EAS) Ambassadors’ Meeting in Jakarta starting January 01, 2017.
In her acceptance speech, Ambassador Buensuceso also described the work plan of the CPR in 2017, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of ASEAN, unveiling the following as some of the major priorities of the CPR and vowing to continue until the completion of the tasks given to the CPR by the ASEAN Senior Officials, the Ministers, and the Leaders.
“But these are merely tasks,” Ambassador Buensuceso emphasized. “We, the CPR, need to see the bigger picture, the vision or dream of a better ASEAN for our peoples. A shared vision will put the wind in our wings to enable us to contribute to making the lives of our people a little better.” She exhorted the CPR and the ASEAN Secretariat to work as a team to make this dream work.
She also explained the following thematic priorities of the Philippine chairmanship of ASEAN in 2017 during the golden anniversary of ASEAN, based on the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World.”
Ambassador Buensuceso elaborated that “each of these thematic priorities will be substantiated by outcome documents or commemorative activities that will not only raise the level of awareness of our peoples but will also allow them to share the dream of a united ASEAN under a regime of peace and stability, enjoying equally the fruits of economic prosperity and caring for one another in times of peace and in times of calamity or conflict.” END
