Motto, Connected & Resilient Community
By Roy Lie Atjam
In Jakarta, the 57th ASEAN Day celebration began with Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi officiating the event alongside ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, in front of Jakarta’s diplomatic corps.
Minister Retno Marsudi confidently began her speech by posing a thought-provoking question: “Amidst global uncertainty, which region is relatively the most stable?” She asserted that Southeast Asia is the answer, emphasizing ASEAN’s crucial role in maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity. The Minister went on, “indeed, stories of peace are less frequently told than stories of conflicts and wars. By looking at the different parts of the world, we need to be grateful to have ASEAN. Our region maintains a steady economic growth of 4.5%, higher than the global average. But, we must not be complacent. One miscalculation may undo our achievements for almost six decades.”
The ASEAN Day celebrations occurred globally, with Melbourne-Australia hosting diplomats, students, and business community leaders. The ASEAN Committee in Buenos Aires, Argentina, partnered with the Museum of Argentine Diplomacy to organize the ASEAN Exhibition, which was inaugurated by Foreign Minister Diana Mondino.
The festivities in Wassenaar-the Netherlands began with the ASEAN Flag Raising Ceremony and the playing of the ASEAN anthem.
H.E. Ambassador Asi Mamanee of the Kingdom of Thailand, then delivered the following statement. “As the current Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN Committee in The Hague, I welcome you. Today, we gather to commemorate the 57th anniversary of ASEAN. This remarkable milestone is a testament to the enduring spirit of cooperation, unity, and progress that has defined our region for over half a century. From its modest beginnings in 1967 with five founding members, ASEAN has evolved into a vibrant community of ten nations, collectively shaping not only the destiny of Southeast Asia, but also playing an increasingly pivotal role on the global stage.
As a region, we represent a population of over 650 million people, a combined GDP of $3 trillion, and serve as a crucial hub in global supply chains. Our strategic location, bridging the Indian and Pacific Oceans, places us at the heart of the Indo-Pacific region, making ASEAN indispensable to global trade, security, and diplomacy.
We have become a model for regional cooperation, demonstrating how diverse nations can work together to promote peace, stability, and economic growth. Our approach to consensus-building and peaceful dispute resolution has earned us respect on the international stage and positioned ASEAN as a key player in regional architecture. We recognize the importance of our global partnerships.
Today, I would like to highlight our relations with the Netherlands, our Development Partner. This partnership was further solidified at the First ASEAN-Netherlands Development Partnership Committee Meeting held just a few months ago, on 17 May 2024, at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta. The Netherlands, with its rich history of global engagement, recognizes ASEAN’s strategic importance in world affairs. They value our region not only as a gateway to Asia’s dynamic markets but also as a crucially in addressing global challenges. We have seen fruitful collaborations in areas such as the circular economy, smart cities, and climate change mitigation.
The Dutch expertise in these fields has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth across our region. As discussed in our recent meeting, ASEAN-Netherlands are now working together to develop Practical Cooperation Areas or PCA, which will set out the overall framework and priorities of our partnership.
As we look to the future through the development of Practical Cooperation Areas, we see great potential for enhanced collaboration in emerging fields such as green economy, water management, sustainable agriculture, connectivity, cyber security, and possibility of the Netherlands’ cooperation with various ASEAN Centres.
Together, we can leverage Dutch innovation and ASEAN’s dynamic markets to create solutions that benefit not just our regions, but the world at large. I also like to take this opportunity to commend Lao PDR in her successful chairmanship of ASEAN this year. ASEAN’s role as a stabilizing force in the region and a convening power among major powers is essential to global peace. Our commitment to maintaining Southeast Asia as a nuclear-free zone, along with our efforts in addressing transnational crime, significantly contributes to global security.
Together with our dialogue and development partners, we will work towards a more prosperous, sustainable, and interconnected future for ASEAN and the world as we count down to the year 2030 aiming to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
The Deputy Director-General of the Dutch MFA and Guest of Honour Mr Joost Flamand, also deliver his remarks. In brief he said “Today is a significant anniversary as we celebrate unity, cooperation, and shared aspirations among the members of ASEAN and their partners.
The vision of ASEAN, which is encapsulated in its motto “One Vision, One Identity, One Community,” continues to resonate strongly despite both positive and challenging global developments.
The Netherlands highly values its deepening relationship with ASEAN and became an ASEAN Development Partner in September 2023. ASEAN remains a focal point for the Netherlands, even under the new government with our cooperation spanning multiple dimensions – political, economic, socio-cultural, and security.
As we mark ASEAN Day, let’s reaffirm our commitment to working together as reliable friends and partners to support ASEAN’s vision of an integrated, resilient, and prosperous community. Together, we can navigate the complexities of the modern world, leveraging our collective strengths to address common challenges and seize shared opportunities.”
The ASEAN Day 2024 celebration in the Netherlands came to an exciting close with a delightful interactive cultural presentation and lunch.
