ASEAN and the world

Representatives of ASEAN member countries and UN officials reviewed the implementation of projects and cooperation activities within the ASEAN-UN Plan of Action for 2016-2020, during their annual meeting on September 15.

Singapore’s employment fell by a record 103,500 in the second quarter of 2020, four times higher than that in the previous quarter, according to the Ministry of Manpower's Labour Market Report released on September 14.

The most important outcome of the of the 53rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM 53) is the commendable chairmanship of Vietnam and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

ASEAN and Canada agreed to soon elevate their dialogue relationship to a Strategic Partnership during the ASEAN-Canada Ministerial Meeting held online on September 10 as part of the 53rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-53).

Participants to the virtual ASEAN-Australia Ministerial Meeting on September 10 shared the view that the ASEAN-Australia dialogue relationship has made strong progress since its establishment in 1974, and positively contributed to regional peace and stability.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh chaired the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Interface with ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Representatives that was held online on September 10.

The ASEAN-New Zealand Ministerial Meeting was held online within the framework of the 53rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-53) and related meetings on September 10.

The US on September 9 introduced specific cooperation and support programmes for ASEAN member states, on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the US-ASEAN Strategic Partnership.

Sub-regional development was among the key topics of discussion during the first working day of the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-53) and related meetings on September 9.

Speaker of the Singaporean Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin called for a coordinated and well-calibrated approach to regional challenges and stressed the importance of strengthening existing intra-ASEAN cooperation efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The National Cancer Centre Japan (NCCJ) has recently launched a cooperative project with five Southeast Asian countries to develop cancer genomic medicines and other new drugs to provide better treatment for patients.

Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai will attend the 53rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Related Meetings on September 9-12 via videoconference, under the chair of Vietnam.

The annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum will be held online December 4 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an Asian diplomatic source said on September 4.

(CPV) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a further grant to Mongolia of $1.5 million from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) to boost medical responses to the threat posed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The financial assistance is sourced from the Government of Japan’s contribution to APDRF.

For the seventh consecutive year, Singapore has retained the top spot as Asia-Pacific's most innovative nation in the latest Global Innovation Index.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has declared that the country has set a plan to start its own vaccine production by mid-2021.

(CPV) - As COVID-19 continues to threaten lives and livelihoods across many countries of the Asia-Pacific region, it has led to setbacks in the fight to end hunger and malnutrition, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced on September 1st 2020.

The ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies (ACCWG-PHE) reviewed cooperation within ASEAN in the fight against COVID-19 during its third meeting, held in the form of video conferencing, on September 1.

Cambodia and the Republic of Korea (RoK) launched the second round of negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) on August 31 as the RoK works to expand its export portfolio to cushion the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The economy of Thailand improved in July thanks to public spending and an easing of coronavirus containment measures, according to the Bank of Thailand (BoT).

(CPV) - SDGs and related targets in the Paris Agreement on climate change provide strong frameworks for the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Asia and the Pacific, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said at a high-level event hosted by UN-ESCAP on August 31 focusing on Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond in Asia and the Pacific.

The Economic Ministers of ASEAN member states and their partner countries on August 28 emphasised the importance of further strengthening regional economic cooperation and promoting economic growth post COVID-19.

Cambodian Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak called for the use of digital technology to restore trust between businesses and customers, during the 52nd Meeting of ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM-52) on August 29.

At least eight people were killed in a shootout in the southern Philippine province of Cotabato around August 29 noon, police and local official said.

ASEAN Foreign Ministers on August 29 issued a joint statement condemning the terrorist bombings on Jolo island, Sulu province of the Philippines that left many dead and injured five days ago.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on August 28 called on parties involved in the East Sea issue to pursue the peaceful settlement of conflicts based on international law.

ASEAN Economic Ministers held online consultations on August 28 with external partners - China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (RoK) - within the framework of the 52nd ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings.

ASEAN Economic Ministers joined an online consultation with Russia on August 28 as part of the 52nd meeting of the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM-52).

The 8th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial Meeting was held online on August 27 under the chair of Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in the US Department of Commerce (DOC) announced on August 26 that it added 24 Chinese companies to the Entity List for their involvement in the illegal construction of artificial islands in the East Sea.