The 43rd ASEAN Summit, slated for September 5-7, will continue discussions on strengthening the bloc’s capacity and institutional effectiveness to help it respond to challenges in the next 20 years.

The Director-General of ASEAN Cooperation at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sidharto Suryodipuro said that Indonesia aims to lay the foundation for ASEAN cooperation to address current and future challenges.

To achieve that, it is a must to strengthen ASEAN institution and mechanisms, he said at a virtual press briefing on August 12.

He informed that there are several aspects that need strengthening, such as human resources in the ASEAN community, dialogues on human rights, as well as maritime cooperation among member countries.

Discussions on strengthening ASEAN institutions, which started under Indonesia’s Initiative, began in 2022 with the High-Level Task Force’s Recommendations on the Post-2025 ASEAN Community Vision (HLTF-ACV) on Strengthening ASEAN’s Capacity and Institutional Effectiveness.

ASEAN leaders have also discussed this issue with the high-level task force at the 42nd Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), in May.

The leaders emphasised the need to strengthen the bloc’s capacity and institutional effectiveness, including enabling ASEAN to respond to crises and emergency situations in a timely manner.

The 2023 ASEAN Summit in Jakarta will not only be attended by ASEAN leaders, but also external partners such as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the US, Australia, and India.

Suryodipuro said that Indonesia is expecting 27 world leaders and international bodies, including 18 leaders of countries participating in the East Asia Summit (EAS), the Canadian Prime Minister, and executive directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank to join the meeting./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency