ASCC To Embark New Course Based On ASCC Community 2025 Vision

MELAKA, March 27 (Bernama) -- ASEAN Socio-cultural Community Council (ASCC) will embark on a new course especially in community-building based on the council's ASCC Community 2025 vision, by year's end. Ministers of the 13th ASCC Council meeting in a joint statement said ASCC was currently implementing the remaining action during the final year of Roadmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015). "We are mindful that 2015 is a year of utmost significance with converge of key community-building initiatives. The strategic planning framework (for ASCC Community 2025) is currently being finalised. "Finalising through collaborative and consultative process at regional and national levels will strenghten the framework in building a better ASEAN community," said the ministers in the statement made available to Bernama. The 13th ASCC Council members including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philipines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam held a meeting here Friday under the chairmanship of Malaysia. Among the ministers were Malaysia's Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz; Brunei's Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Awang Hazair Abdullah; and Thailand's Social Development and Human Security Minister Santi Prompat. The ministers were also satisfied with the progress made by ASCC high level task force in developing ASCC Community 2025 draft and related document, namely ASCC Attendant Document draft. "We noted the draft ASCC Attendant Document and it will be subjected to national consultations with the appropriate government agencies and stakeholders in April 2015 (next month)," said the ministers. The meeting also endorsed priority work that focused on seven framework to complement and further enhance ASCC community-building work based on ASCC Blueprint. The framework are Declaration on mainstreaming the resilience of ASEAN and its communities and peoples to disasters and climate change; the ASEAN Declaration on one ASEAN, one response 2020 and beyond: ASEAN responding to disasters as one and ASEAN Joint Statement on climate change 2015. Others are ASEAN Declaration on post-2015 priorities relating to civil service; ASEAN Declaration on ageing: empowering older persons in ASEAN; Regional framework and action plan to implement the ASEAN Declaration on strengthening social protection; and Regional plan of actions on the elimination of violence against women and Regional plan of actions on the elimination of violence against children. "We also look forward to the finalisation of the draft ASEAN instrument on the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant," said the statement. -- BERNAMA