CALD Statement No. 2 S. 2015

CALD Statement on ASEAN Community

We, the representatives of the Democrat Party (Thailand), Democratic Progressive Party (Taiwan), Liberal Party (Philippines), Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, Singapore Democratic Party, Liberal Party (Sri Lanka), Cambodia National Rescue Party, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, Civil Will Green Party (Mongolia), National League for Democracy (Myanmar), Democratic Party of Hong Kong, Nation Awakening Party (Indonesia), together with our partners and guests, on the occasion of CALD Conference on Regional Integration: What Can We Expect from ASEAN Community? held on 24-26 April 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;

Aware that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in its Declaration of ASEAN Concord II adopted in Bali Indonesia on 7 October 2003, decided to establish by 2020 an ASEAN Community of three pillars namely security (subsequently named political-security) community, economic community and socio- cultural community;

Noting that in the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the Philippines on 13 January 2007, ASEAN pledged to accelerate the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015;

Recognizing that in line with these commitments, ASEAN adopted in 2009 the Blueprints for the ASEAN Political Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) to define concrete steps towards regional political-security engagement, economic collaboration, and people-to-people interaction among member-states;

Sharing the goals of enduring peace, stability and shared prosperity in Southeast Asia and the broader Asian region;

Do hereby call on the ASEAN to:

On ASEAN Political Security Community

1. Ensure that all its member-states adhere to the principles of democracy, rule of law, and promotion and protection of human rights – principles which are enshrined in the ASEAN Charter ratified by all member-states;
2. Support more activities for government officials, think-tanks and civil society organizations, including networks of political parties, to share experiences and best practices in the promotion of democratic principles and strengthening of democratic institutions;
3. Welcome the statement of the military government of Thailand to come up with a clear roadmap to democracy that manifests its commitment to immediately return political power to the people;
4. Take steps to hasten the negotiation with China for a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea especially because of the increasing assertion of China over areas claimed by some ASEAN states;
5. Call on ASEAN to establish a research and planning agency which will study the commonalities among ASEAN member states and facilitate ASEAN approaches in addressing the needs and challenges of the region;
6. Urge ASEAN for transparency in the military procurement, more cooperation on cross-border crime prevention and work together within the UN peace- keeping and humanitarian efforts;

On ASEAN Economic Community

1. Harmonize relevant domestic rules and regulations to facilitate intra-ASEAN services, investments and trade;
2. Accelerate the elimination of non-tariff barriers to trade and the establishment of an effective surveillance mechanism to ensure compliance;
3. Callfortheharmonizationandstandardizationthatpromotegreatermobilityof skilled and unskilled labor across ASEAN countries;
4. Speakasonevoiceinglobaltradenegotiations;
5. Hasten the process of communication, connection and physical infrastructures;

6. Ensure that small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and farmers truly benefit from ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) integration through assistance, access to information and the market;
7. Reducetheinvolvementofstate-ownedenterprises(SOEs)exceptinareasof national security, special concern and/or in times of crisis;

On ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community

1. Promote ASEAN identity consisting of unity in diversity and the ASEAN Way through education, the media, cultural exchanges, tourism and sporting events, and other mechanisms that encourage people-to-people interaction;
2. Broaden its civil society linkages by engaging with other regional and national civil society networks apart from those where ASEAN already has institutionalized relationship, including sports events;
3. Train the labor force in ASEAN member states so they can be more qualified, competent and suited for regional and global integration, which create greater mobility of employment in ASEAN;
4. Urge each ASEAN member state to ensure effective implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, and to develop a legally binding instrument that monitors compliance; and
5. EnhanceASEANmemberstates’effortsonclimatechangethroughincreased sharing of information and technology.