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STATEMENT BY
THE HONOURABLE MR. NUR JAZLAN MOHAMED
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AND REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA
ON BEHALF OF
THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN)
COMPRISING BRUNEI DARUSSALAM, THE KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA, THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA, LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, MALAYSIA, THE UNION OF MYANMAR, THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE, THAILAND AND THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM
ON
AGENDA ITEM 28 (A): ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN
AND
AGENDA ITEM 28 (B): IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OUTCOME OF THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN AND OF THE TWENTY-THIRD SPECIAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE
66TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NEW YORK, 10 OCTOBER 2011
Mr. Chairman,
It gives me great pleasure to speak on behalf of the ten Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN; namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. ASEAN also wishes to align itself with the statement made Argentina on behalf of G77 and China.
Mr. Chairman,
2. ASEAN leaders recognise and reaffirm the importance of women and their participation in development. ASEAN Member Countries have been supportive of efforts to promote the status of women and have participated actively in the regional and international efforts taken to ensure women’s advancement. The genesis of efforts towards establishing an ASEAN plan, as a region, in women’s issues can be traced back to the ASEAN Women Leaders’ Conference held, in 1975. The ASEAN Sub-Committee on Women (ASW) was established in 1976 and was renamed the ASEAN Women’s Programme (AWP) in 1981.
3. To give a fresh impetus to the ongoing ASEAN cooperation on women’s issues, the sectoral body was restructured and named the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW) in 2002. The coordination and monitoring of the implementation of ASEAN’s key regional priorities and cooperation in women’s issues and concerns are carried out by the ACW, which meets regularly every year. ACW was established to represent ASEAN’s firm commitment in the advancement of women in this dynamic region.
Mr. Chairman,
4. The recognition of women in ASEAN and the commitment to the advancement of women are clearly reflected in the Declaration on the Advancement of Women in ASEAN which was adopted by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers in 1988. The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the ASEAN Region, adopted by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers in 2004, is the second declaration recognising important concerns for women. It also marks the first time that all ten ASEAN Member Countries are committed to this cause at the regional level.
5. ASEAN cooperation on women is guided by two operational documents:
a. The Work Plan for Women’s Advancement and Gender Equality (2005-2010), which has its roots in the 1988 Declaration on the Advancement of Women in ASEAN.
b. The Work Plan to Operationalise the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (2006-2010), which builds on existing national efforts, moves forward the priorities of the other Work Plan and integrates all relevant priorities and measures into a consolidated action plan on violence against women.
Mr. Chairman,
6. The strong link in government and non-government partnerships is illustrated, among others, in the close partnership between the ACW and the ASEAN Confederation on Women’s Organisations (ACWO). The ACW has also established close partnerships with a number of key international organisations in working for gender equality and advancement, and eliminating violence and discrimination against women.
Mr. Chairman,
7. ASEAN Member Countries have achieved various accomplishments in addressing women’s issues. The ACW has convened different regional workshops, seminars, training sessions and consultative meetings that provided platforms for government officials, civil society organisations, professionals and other stakeholders to exchange views, share experiences and build commitments and a common understanding on issues related to the advancement of women.
8. The ASEAN-High Level Meeting on Gender Mainstreaming within the context of CEDAW, BPFA and the MDGs which was held in November 2006 is the most prominent example. During the High Level Meeting, the Joint Statement and Commitment to Implement Gender Mainstreaming was adopted. Various publications and periodic regional reports were also produced.
9. During the 13th ASEAN Summit held in Singapore on 20 November 2007, ASEAN leaders agreed to develop an ASCC Blueprint to ensure that concrete actions are undertaken to promote the establishment of an ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), which includes ACW.
Mr. Chairman,
10. The ASCC Blueprint represents the human dimension of ASEAN cooperation and upholds ASEAN’s commitment to address the region’s aspiration in lifting the quality of life of its peoples, including women. The goals of the ASCC are envisaged to be achieved by implementing concrete and productive actions that are people-centred and socially responsible. This set of cooperative activities has been developed based on the assumption that the three pillars of the ASEAN Community are interdependent and interrelated and that linkages are imperative to ensure complementarity and unity of purpose. The ASCC Blueprint was adopted by the ASEAN Leaders at the 14th ASEAN Summit on 1 March 2009 in Thailand.
11. On 7 April 2010, the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) was inaugurated in Ha Noi, Viet Nam in the lead-up towards the 16th ASEAN Summit. The establishment of the ACWC is to promote and protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and children in ASEAN. It will take into consideration the different historical, political socio-cultural, religious and economic context in the region and the balances between rights and responsibilities.
12. It is also aimed to promote the well-being, development, empowerment and participation of women and children in the ASEAN Community building process which contribute to the realisation of the purposes of ASEAN as set out in the ASEAN Charter.
13. In conclusion, it is a shared dream among us in realising an ASEAN Community that is people-centred and socially responsible, with a view to achieve enduring solidarity and unity, not only among the nations and peoples of ASEAN, but also the global village. Together with other delegations, it is our hope that we can move forward on this issue and create the consensus and policy prescriptions that will allow us to progress and prosper as a region.
I thank you Mr. Chairman.