Statement on the President’s Participation in the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits
31 August 2023 – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., along with the Leaders of other ASEAN Member States and several Dialogue Partners, will participate in the 43rd ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in Jakarta, Indonesia. This will be from 5 to 7 September 2023 at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Joko Widodo, as this year’s ASEAN Chair.
It will be remembered that this will be the second summit this year. The first one was in Labuan Bajo in May 2023.
This Summit will be a follow-on to the May Summit and will accelerate the momentum of the ASEAN Community-building process, under the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.” It will serve as a platform for leaders to exchange views on key regional and international issues, build consensus on matters of mutual interest, and provide policy direction for the ASEAN Community.
The 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits will include meetings with several Dialogue Partners of ASEAN as well as Summits of ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit and the East Asia Summit (EAS).
The President will also attend the Opening of the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum (AIPF): upon the invitation of Indonesia. The event will serve as a platform for ASEAN to discuss infrastructure projects and programs to implement the priority areas of cooperation under the AOIP with external partners and other participants.
Overall, the President is expected to attend 13 Leaders’-level engagements.
These are:
September 5, 2023, Tuesday
- 43rd ASEAN Summit (Plenary Session)
- Opening Ceremony of the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum: Implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific
- 43rd ASEAN Summit (Retreat Session)
September 6, 2023, Wednesday
4. 26th ASEAN-China Summit
5. 24th ASEAN-Republic of Korea (RoK) Summit
6. 26th ASEAN-Japan Summit
7. 26th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit
8. ASEAN-U.S. Summit
9. ASEAN-Canada Summit
September 7, 2023, Thursday
10. 20th ASEAN-India Summit
11. 18th East Asia Summit (EAS)
12. 3rd ASEAN-Australia Summit
13. 13th ASEAN-UN Summit
In these engagements, the President will continue to uphold and promote Philippine interests in ASEAN. He will highlight our advocacies in strengthening food and energy security, harnessing the potential of the digital and creative economies and MSMEs, and addressing the impacts of climate change, among others.
The President will also continue to emphasize our efforts to protect migrant workers in crisis situations, as well as combating Trafficking-in-Persons. Other priority areas of cooperation with Dialogue Partners will also be discussed.
Furthermore, the President will continue to promote a rules-based international order, including the 1982 UNCLOS, especially in the South China Sea. The Philippines will continue to uphold and exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea in accordance with international law.
The Leaders are expected to discuss various international issues that impact the region and beyond. These include the situation in Myanmar, the conflict in Ukraine, as well as geopolitical rivalries in the Indo-Pacific region.
To date, over 90 outcome documents are being targeted to be issued, adopted, or noted during the Summits.
Key outcome documents include the
- ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crisis, and individual joint statements on strengthening cooperation on food security between ASEAN and Australia, Canada, and India;
- ASEAN Guidelines on the Protection of Migrant Workers and Family Members in Crisis Situations;
- ASEAN Leaders' Statement on the Development of the Digital Economy Framework Agreement; and
- ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change to the 28th Session of Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP-28), among others.
The 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits will conclude on 7 September 2023 with a Handover Ceremony of the ASEAN Chairship from Indonesia to the Lao People's Democratic Republic. END