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thailand : A Look Ahead at the 15th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits |
 A Look Ahead at the 15th ASEAN Summit and Related SummitsA Look Ahead at the 15th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits
The Ministry of Public Health has instructed local medical teams in Hua Hin district, Prachuap Khiri Khan province, to be prepared to arrange medical care around the clock for participants in the 15th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.
The summits will take place in Cha-am and Hua Hin in Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan on 23-25 October 2009. Public Health Minister Witthaya Keawparadai said that he had designated Hua Hin Hospital as the health center to take care of all participants in the summits. Arrangements have also been made to dispatch patients to hospitals elsewhere, if necessary. Rescue teams are ready to operate, with assistance from mobile medical teams and 10 relevant foundations.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has called on Thai people to be a good host for the upcoming 15th Summit and Related Summits. He said that the international community was keeping an eye on these summits. If the meetings went on smoothly, they would help restore confidence in Thailand and improve its image.
Speaking on behalf of the 10 ASEAN members at the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York, on October 6, Mr. Norachit Sinhaseni, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations, shared with the Assembly ASEAN’s views on some critical issues.
He said that ASEAN attaches great importance to development. Therefore, it is concerned about the impacts of the world financial and economic crisis on the development of countries around the world, particularly those that are most vulnerable to external shocks. ASEAN will continue to stand with the United Nations in emphasizing the “human face” of this economic crisis and the necessity of assisting the poor and vulnerable population in developing countries.
Mr. Norachit said that the current world economic crisis has given an impetus for ASEAN to strive for a broader and deeper economic integration among the 10 ASEAN countries and between ASEAN and its regional partners, such as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and India. While pushing for greater integration, ASEAN has also moved ahead with efforts to strengthen social safety nets in the region in order to cushion its population from adverse impacts of the crisis. ASEAN has been working closely with its Plus Three partners, which are China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, to strengthen the regional self-help financial mechanism through the establishment of a regional pooling reserve arrangement under the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization, or CMIM, with total funding of 120 billion US dollars. CMIM is expected to be launched by the end of 2009.
Concerning climate change, Mr. Norachit said that ASEAN believes that countries should use this moment to promote greater investment in green technologies to build a green economy. Such technologies should be made accessible and affordable for countries that are in need.
ASEAN is determined to strengthen the already strong partnership with the United Nations in the area of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response is scheduled to be implemented at the end of this year. This agreement would provide a solid basis for further cooperation with the United Nations system on disaster reduction and emergency response.
Mr. Norachit told the Assembly that ASEAN is taking a significant step ahead in the area of human rights. The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights is scheduled to be officially established at the 15th ASEAN Summit in Thailand. ASEAN envisions this commission to be an evolving body and believes that the establishment of this body will significantly advance the cause of human rights in the region.
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