15 December 2016 — The Philippines, as chair of the ASEAN-UNESCO Committee, hosted the first ASEAN Food Festival in UNESCO on December 13.
During her remarks, Philippine Ambassador and Permanent Delegate Maria Theresa P. Lazaro described the important role of food in ASEAN.
“The cuisine of ASEAN reflects the diverse cultures and rich historical traditions of our peoples. It plays a central role in our countries of bringing families, communities, and friends together in celebration and solidarity,” Ambassador Lazaro noted.
The Philippines is currently the overall Chair of ASEAN, and promoting positive change and strengthening ASEAN’s voice in the world are among its core priorities.
As Philippine chairmanship coincides with the 50th anniversary of ASEAN, Ambassador Lazaro shared that ASEAN will celebrate this historic milestone with events in UNESCO. She also added that ASEAN aims to strengthen and further expand cooperation with the organization, across all its program sectors and offices in Bangkok and Jakarta. “ASEAN has much to offer to UNESCO in terms of its amazingly diverse cultures, growing economic capacities, and forging partnerships for peace and sustainable development.”’
Deputy Director-General Getachew Engida underscored that ASEAN Member States are important partners of UNESCO, and that jointly, UNESCO and the ASEAN could help ensure a brighter future for the international community.
Over 200 distinguished guests from Permanent Delegations, the UNESCO Secretariat, and other partners attended the event, and enjoyed the culinary delights offered by the ASEAN Member States. END
