ASEAN Affirms Commitment To Maintain Sentrality And Unity

President Joko Widodo (central) accompanied by First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo and a number of state heads participating in the 42nd ASEAN Summit boarded the phinisi ship in Labuan Bajo, NTT,/ANTARA PHOTO/Akbar Nugroho Gumay/nym

JAKARTA - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) reiterated its commitment to maintaining centrality, unity, and relevance in order to face challenges in the region.

"We will double our efforts to strengthen ASEAN's capacity and institutional effectiveness to address current and future challenges, as well as respond to the crisis on time," ASEAN leaders said in a joint statement released on the first day of the ASEAN 42nd Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 10.

The increase in ASEAN's capacity and institutional effectiveness is considered important to build a peaceful, stable, safe, prosperous, and resilient community.

The strengthened ASEAN will be improved by the ability to develop agile institutions, which will be able to effectively respond to urgent situations on time, to maintain peace and security, and ensure the prosperity of our people," reads ASEAN Leader's Statement on Strengthening ASEAN Institutional Capacity and Effectiveness.

Through the High-Level Task Force for the Vision of ASEAN People Post-2025 (HLTV-ACV), the regional organization is preparing the strategic direction of ASEAN in the next two decades until 2045.

The vision was drawn up by upholding the principles of the ASEAN Charter and consolidating the integration process towards the ASEAN community which is based on rules and oriented towards the people of Southeast Asia.

ASEAN leaders also agreed to strengthen ASEAN-led mechanisms and processes when dealing with external partners as well as in an expanding regional architecture centered on ASEAN that is open, transparent, inclusive, and rule-based.

Previously, in a meeting with ASEAN leaders and HLTF-ACV, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that ASEAN must prepare for the worst conditions amid current global challenges.

"ASEAN must be really prepared with increasingly complex challenges. We must prepare for the worst conditions, but still hope for the best," said Jokowi in Labuan Bajo, Wednesday.

The ASEAN Summit in the Indonesian chairmanship period was held twice, namely on May 9-11 in Labuan Bajo and September 2023 in Jakarta.

In this year's chairmanship, Indonesia carries the theme ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth which means ASEAN is important and relevant as a center of world growth.

There are three important elements in the meaning of ASEAN Matters, namely strengthening ASEAN capacity and effectiveness, ASEAN unity, and ASEAN centrality.

Meanwhile, under the meaning of the Epicentrum of Growth, Indonesia seeks to ensure important elements in the region consisting of health architecture, energy security, food security, and financial stability.