ASEAN Spice: The Connecting Culture of Southeast Asians

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Background

Gastro-diplomacy, or culinary diplomacy, is a fascinating approach to international relations that leverages food to foster cultural exchange and build relationships between nations. In the context of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, the region consists of an abundance of spices and flavors that have not only shaped its cuisine but also played a significant role in its history and global trade. Due to similar weather patterns and geographical conditions, the region shares similar yet unique vegetation and spices that connect the neighboring countries and enhance existing diplomatic ties.

In the same context, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, in coordination with the ASEAN Studies Center (ASC), UGM, organized a day-long seminar on the topic “ASEAN Spice: The Connecting Culture of Southeast Asians” on the 28th of May 2024. The main objective of the seminar was to start a discourse on the spice trade and its cultural and culinary reclamation coupled with heritage preservation; this was held with the experts from each member country to share their own unique history. 

 

Program Proceeding

The ASEAN Spice seminar began with singing the Indonesian national song and the ASEAN anthem. Then continued with the Gambyong Pareanom dance from the Surakarta Style Javanese Arts Unit (UKJGS). Ms. Marsha Phoebe, the MC for the seminar, then initiated the event by welcoming all the esteemed representatives from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, representative from ASEAN headquarters, Directorate of ASEAN socio-cultural cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representative of SPICE Cosmopolis UGM, and the delegates from the ASEAN member states, academicians and the participants. She highlighted the importance of the Southeast Asia’s shared living heritage and not limiting it to mere objects of trade that attracted the colonizers to exploit the region for centuries but regarding it as a testament of resilience over the years.

The representative from the ministry, Ms. Dharmawati, went on to share the importance of exchanging the culture and identity in ASEAN and further studying its potential. The wellness industry, as per the Global Wellness Institute in 2022, had an output of about 5.6 trillion USD in the global economy, out of which 200 billion USD was from the ASEAN nations. 

Moving on, a keynote discussion was moderated by Ms. Yulida Nuraini Santoso, Managing Director of ASEAN SC and Lecturer at the Department of International Relations, UGM, where the keynote speakers were Dr. Sri Margana; Historian, Senior Lecturer, Department of History, UGM and Dr. Dafri Agussalim; ED of ASEAN SC, Professor at Department of International Relations, FISIPOL, UGM. The discussion went ahead with the historical aspect of spice in Indonesia and how it has been able to foster cultural and economic knowledge, customs, and traditions. Historically, the spice was traded by the Arabs from India, Ceylon, and Nusantara. They enjoyed the spice trade monopoly until the colonizers from Portugal, Britain, and the Netherlands arrived. Similarly, when we analyze the spice trade, Indonesia has always been at the center of it as most of the plants were native to Indonesia. Along with the trading, the traders brought about their cultural and religious practices, such as Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Confucianism, to Indonesia, which has now become embedded as a part of the Indonesian identity. The efforts made by the UGM Spice Cosmopolis were shared, where they hold the notion that the contribution of Nusantara spices is not merely for trading routes but also as a form of creativity and the formation of spice culture. Thus, it is high time to revitalize and reclaim the cultural identity linked with spices.

Dr. Dafri Agussalim stressed the importance of gastro-diplomacy and its role in international relations in fostering mutual understanding and cooperation, strengthening economies and cultural identities. There is a need to continue the resilience that our ancestors showcased throughout colonial history to the current era while preserving the knowledge of spices. Spice has been a connecting factor in early times, and it can continue to become one with the efforts of the ASEAN nations if it is taken not just as mere flavor enhancers but for its medicinal values, preservatives, and aphrodisiacs.

Post the keynote discussion, a short question and answer session was held where the participants posed queries such as the methods of decolonizing the narratives surrounding the spices, for which the answer was to start with the usage of transformative terms like “Spice Culture” and moving away from the limiting terms such as “Spice Routes”. While commodification does bring monetary benefits to countries, there is a need to put efforts into the preservation of the unique ASEAN heritage. Hence, changing the commonly used terms like “Spice Route” is the start of decolonization, and copying the terms like “Silk Road” needs to stop. Furthermore, the movement of people across the region has enhanced the culture even more than before, so there is a need to differentiate between migration and trade. 

The seminar then continued with presentations from representatives from 10 ASEAN member countries. In the first country presentation session, representatives from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao DPR, and Malaysia, respectively, presented their institutions and countries’s efforts to preserve and promote the spice culture. Brunei Darussalam conveyed their efforts to introduce the connection of spices with neighbouring nations through culinary diplomacy. For Cambodia, the spices they use are mostly inspired by Indian and Chinese cuisines and neighbouring Southeast Asian nations. In the third presentation, Indonesia said that apart from daily household use, the spices are mostly used for medicinal purposes. However, in order to use these mainstream medicinal herbs and spices, quality assurance, efficacy, and safety must be ensured. Meanwhile, representatives of Laos said that unique spices such as chilli and black ginger are the unique identity of Laos and need to be preserved. The fifth presentation, namely Malaysia, said that the role of the ministry in the preservation of tangible and intangible spice heritage has been significant. They have been actively promoting conservation, sustainable use, fair and equitable sharing of benefits, empowering the community, economic impacts, and innovation while utilising their spices.

Myanmar, as the first presentation at the second country presentation session, said that they were focused on income generation, the creation of job opportunities, the utilisation of spices, and exporting in large amounts to the neighbouring nations. In the second presentation, the Philippines, said that a tough task to preserve indigenous knowledge of spices and herbs, and it is the country’s responsibility. In the next presentation, Singapore talked about the usage of betel nuts and betel leaf culture. Although it is widely used in the Indian subcontinent, the practice originated in Indonesia. Meanwhile, Thailand shared about the rich history of how travellers and traders brought with them their knowledge about spices, and combining it with the local spices to make a unique cuisine is what has made Thai food one of the most popular foods. The last presentation, namely Vietnam, said that the spices used in the Vietnamese culinary culture are mostly Chinese, French, and Indian spices. However, they believe in the nominal usage of spices in their food and try to keep it balanced and maintain the nutritional value of the food.

After the presentations from the member nations, Moderator Mr. Tunggul Wicaksono, Research Manager of ASC gave the concluding key remarks. Where he stated that the ASEAN nations are harmonized by the spice, and the exchange of spice culture and knowledge will only strengthen diplomatic ties, economic bonds, and a sense of oneness among us. Likewise, there were queries regarding whether an agreement on the ASEAN level can materialize for the trading of spices and exchange of knowledge, to which everyone agreed that this discourse is a positive beginning and there will be more follow-up in the future. There were few recommendations as to community engagement indigenous knowledge preservation will reflect the common identity. Finally, it was also noted that there is a need for behavioral transformation from a competitive to a collaborative approach, which will benefit not only one nation but the whole of ASEAN. 

 

Conclusion

By embracing shared ASEAN culinary heritage and engaging in gastro-diplomacy initiatives, ASEAN nations can not only promote their unique cuisines but also strengthen cultural ties and foster greater understanding and cooperation on the international stage. This is an opportunity to showcase the richness and diversity of ASEAN’s culinary traditions while building bridges between nations in a collaborative manner. This will result in the promotion and preservation of the already appreciated Southeast Asian spice culture but in a unified manner in the global arena. 

Therefore, ASEAN member nations must put in efforts to restore and celebrate the spice culture. This will prove to be a stepping stone to decolonization and reclamation of ownership over our shared history, recognize the values of spice beyond being a mere commodity, and honor its role in creating a unique identity for ASEAN.

 

Korea-Indonesia Cooperation Forum in Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations

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In order to celebrate 50 years of relations between South Korea and Indonesia. On November 30, 2023, the ASEAN Studies Center at Gadjah Mada University was invited to join the Korea-Indonesia Cooperation Forum in Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations at Hotel Mulia Senayan Jakarta, Grand Ballroom, Indonesia. In this meeting, was raising the theme “K-Wave & I-Wave, Together for the Future”

The Center was part of an academic seminar session commemorating 50 years of Korean-Indonesian diplomatic relations. The session began with remarks from Lee Sang-deok, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Indonesia, then continued with Congratulations from Lee Kyung-soo, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Vice President of the Korean Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR), and Dino Patti Djalal, Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Chairman & Founder of FPCI (Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia).

In this session, there were four representatives from the ASEAN Studies Center, namely Dr. Dafri Agussalim (Executive Director), Falikul Isbah (Adjunct Researcher), and Desintha Dwi (Fellow Researcher) as panelists, and Tunggul Wicaksono (Research Manager) as moderator.

In this session, representatives of the ASEAN Studies Center discussed “Steps to Expand Korea-Indonesia Cooperation in Order to Strengthen ASEAN Centrality” together with other panelists, namely GU Bo-kyeung, Research Professor at the Korea Institute for ASEAN Studies, Busan University of Foreign Studies (BUFS ), and KO Young-kyung, Research Professor at the ASEAN Center, Korea University.

 

The discussion session then ended with a summary of the morning session by KO Young-kyung and Tunggul Wicaksono, and then continued with lunch together.

Diplomatic Briefing and ASC Monograph 2023 Launch

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Yogyakarta, 22 August 2023 – ASEAN Studies Center Universitas Gadjah Mada (ASC UGM) held a Diplomatic Briefing event and the launch of the ASC Monograph 2023. The event had the theme Diplomatic Briefing on Strengthening Indonesia’s Leadership for the Promotion and Protection of Women and Children in ASEAN – ” Charting a Safer Future: Advancing the Rights and Well-Being of Women and Children in ASEAN” and took place online through the Zoom Meeting platform. It was attended by participants from diplomats, researchers, academics, and students.

The Diplomatic Briefing event took place at 13.00 (GMT +7) and was opened with opening remarks by H.E. Amb. Lambert G., Ambassador of the Netherlands, and Dr. Dafri Agussalim, Executive Director of ASC UGM. Meanwhile, the Diplomatic Briefing and ASC Monograph Launch event were moderated by Yulida Santoso, Managing Director of ASC UGM. This event allows presenters to share in-depth insights on women’s and children’s issues. Yanti Kusumawardhani, a representative from the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), explained child issues. Meanwhile, Dr. Fitriani, Senior Researcher from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), presented an in-depth review of women’s issues.

Meanwhile, the launch of the ASC Monograph 2023 was also one of the sessions that all participants had been waiting for. This monograph is a collaborative work between authors and an editor from ASC UGM. ASC Monograph 2023 raises the title “From Vulnerability to Resilience: Enhancing Women and Children’s Well-Being”. ASC Monograph 2023, this time with six chapters, was written by seven authors. Two of the seven authors include Tunggul Wicaksono (Chapter 1: Empowering Futures and Bridging the Gap in the Protection of Women and Children) and Dio Tobing (Chapter 5: Safeguarding Children’s Rights Online in ASEAN: A Shared Responsibility). At the launch event, Tunggul Wicaksono, Research Manager of ASC UGM, introduced the contents of the monograph with an emphasis on the main findings and their strategic implications. Dio Tobing, a representative from the World Benchmarking Alliance, was also present to discuss the relevance of the conclusions of the monograph to broader global developments.

This event also provided a space for participants to ask questions directly to the presenters and discuss various issues raised in the Diplomatic Briefing and the contents of the ASC Monograph 2023.

Open House ASC UGM: ASEAN Day!

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On August 8, 2023, the ASEAN Studies Center Universitas Gadjah Mada held an Open House in celebration of the 56th anniversary of ASEAN Day, in the BC building room no. 208–209, FISIPOL UGM. This activity opened at 13.00 WIB and was attended by students from various universities and different departments, such as UGM, UII, UMY, UPN, and UNY.

 

In the Open House activity, the session in room BC 208 was facilitated by Diaz Kurniawan, Program Manager of ASC UGM. In the session, Diaz Kurniawan explained the ASC UGM program division and the programs within it. One of the programs he presented was the ASEAN Youth Initiative Empowerment Program (AYIEP), which this year ASC UGM will again be holding a program for the fourth time with the theme “Human Rights in ASEAN”. Apart from explaining the AYIEP program, Diaz Kurniawan also explained the program that students always look forward to every year, namely the internship program.

Meanwhile, in room BC 209, there was a sharing session regarding research at ASC UGM, which was facilitated by Yulida Santoso, Managing Director of ASC UGM, and Tunggul Wicaksono, Research Manager of ASC UGM. In the sharing session, the students were quite active in asking questions, while one of the students wanted a 1-on-1 session. Therefore, Tunggul Wicaksono and the students shared ASC UGM research 1-on-1 in room BC 208. Meanwhile, Yulida Santoso continued the research-sharing session with students in room BC 209. The sharing session was then followed by a discussion on the South China Sea dispute, which has recently become a trending topic in the media.

The Open House activity then ended with a door prize draw. Where there were 8 students who were lucky to get flash disks, block notes, and mousepad prizes from ASC UGM. At this Open House, ASC UGM also distributed free books to the participants who attended.

The ASC UGM Open House activity in celebration of the 56th anniversary of ASEAN Day was a success. Therefore, it is hoped that this event will become an annual ASC UGM event in the future. Especially with this Open House event, ASC UGM can bring ASEAN closer to students. This is in line with the tagline owned by ASC UGM, namely “Bringing ASEAN Closer To You”.

 

ASC UGM at FISIPOL UGM Research Days 2022

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Last week on FISIPOL Research Days 2022, our research on Halal Tourism has been presented by Dra. Siti Daulah Khoiriati as the lead researcher of this research project.

In this research, our research team found numerous issues and major keyfindings that are faced by the halal tourism communities in Yogyakarta. In terms of this, our Center managed to share the knowledge for the empowerment of tourism villages in Yogyakarta.

Several questions arose from the participants, start from how the halal tourism is able to increase the interest of the tourism rather than a regular tourism, also how the stakeholders could support the development of the halal tourism. Other than that, there is a question about how can the interest between halal tourism and regular tourism could be taken into a common benefit.

The product of this research are Policy Briefs, and Infographic that can be accessed through the following link.

Policy Briefs: ugm.id/ASCPolicyBriefs
Infographic: ugm.id/ASCInfographic

Bincang ASEAN on Book Launching “ASC Monograph 2021: Advancing Southeast Asia through Gender Mainstreaming”

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Gender inequality is a significant issue in Southeast Asia since most countries are patriarchal and gender-based violence is pervasive. Local grassroots movements for gender equality have grown as a result. One of the discourses that advocacy movements promote to policymakers is gender mainstreaming, a globally inclusive method to make gender equality a reality. Alarming gender-based problems, such as gender-based violence brought on by gender inequity, are seen to be resolved by insisting on a broader gender perspective in the policymaking process.

On Tuesday, September 13th, 2022, the ASEAN Studies Center held a webinar series on Bincang ASEAN to launch the latest publication by the center entitled ASC Monograph 2021: Advancing Southeast Asia through Gender Mainstreaming. The webinar is purposed to disseminate the publication and discuss gender mainstreaming efforts in Southeast Asia. All contributors to the monograph will be invited to the webinar to discuss their findings and complete the discourses on Southeast Asia’s effort in mainstreaming gender alongside the editor and the audience.

To debate their findings and round out the discourses on Southeast Asia’s efforts to mainstream gender with the editor and audience, other contributors to the monograph were invited to the webinar. Author of Chapter 4 Vanesha Febrilly gave an account of the government’s intervention in Setu Garment Factory, West Java, Indonesia to protect the reproductive rights of female garment workers. Mia Hyun, the author of Chapter 6, provided an explanation of a situation of violence against women in ASEAN, focusing in particular on the governance framework for policy reform. Last but not least, Durrotul Mas’udah and Syukron Subkhi, the writers of Chapter 11, discussed the negative stigmas that single mothers in Indonesia endure as well as the community that supports them.

Along with the writers, the editorial boards’ H.E. Yuyun Wahyuningrum from the AICHR and Joel Mark Baysa-Barred from Mahidol University have been invited to participate in the conversation as discussants. Their concluding remarks regarding their support for gender mainstreaming, advocacy, and equality in the ASEAN Region brought the discussion to a close.

Regionally, member state collaboration on the eradication of gender-based worrying concerns is limited, notwithstanding ASEAN’s initiative on gender mainstreaming via the ASEAN Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Framework. The gender awareness and commitment of ASEAN member states are also in doubt given Southeast Asia’s patriarchal culture. In the region, efforts to eradicate issues like the violence that is gender-based have not made much success. It inspired ASEAN to take on a bigger role in supporting member nations’ dedication to gender mainstreaming and fostering collaboration to end gender-based challenges.

 

Report by 
Syukron Subkhi
Media and Publication Officer
ASEAN Studies Center UGM

NACT Working Group Meeting 2022 | ASEAN-China Partnership: Mainstreaming the ASEAN Blue Economy to Accelerate Post-pandemic Recovery

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In light of the difficulties in setting up a strong and fair legal framework, ocean exploitation is likely inevitable. ASEAN and China must build on the platform’s long-term potential and unlock the platform’s capabilities that are still underdeveloped for regions that rely heavily on the marine ecosystem. The partnership between the two parties was established at the ASEAN Summit in October 2021 in order to respond to this issue. The ASEAN Leaders’ Blue Economy Declaration is a manifestation of the ASEAN-China Partnership on Blue Economy. This shows a strong commitment to promoting sustainable development, particularly in the marine economy, as well as an effort to strengthen multilateral cooperation.

To generate a broader critical measure on this issue, the Network of ASEAN-China Think-Tanks held o Working Group Meeting on the mainstreaming of the ASEAN Blue Economy to Accelerate Post-Pandemic Recovery. Co-hosted by NACT China which is represented by the China Foreign Affairs University and NACT Indonesia which is represented by ASEAN Studies Center Universitas Gadjah Mada, the working group meeting took place on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, through an online platform meeting in light of the current Covid-19 pandemic.

A representative of the blue economy expert from each of the 10 ASEAN member states and China represented by the NACT country coordinators have been invited to attend the meeting. Meeting participants are expected to gain an understanding of the Blue Economy and what it means for ASEAN member states and China, as well as identify best practices from each NACT representative, the main goals of this working group meeting. There are a few other objectives for the meeting, which include identifying possible strategic plans that ASEAN and China can use as the foundation for mutually beneficial cooperation.

The meeting was opened by the welcoming remarks from the Executive Director of ASEAN Studies Center Universitas Gadjah Mada (Dr. Dafri Agussalim) as the country coordinator for NACT Indonesia. In his remarks, Dr. Dafri highlighted

“The importance of this meeting to be conducted is not only to gather and exchange constructive ideas, but also functioned as a platform to generate long term solutions on some critical issues surrounding the region, and most importantly on the cooperation with one of ASEAN dialogue partner, China”

To facilitate each representative and manage the discussion is conducted with a constructive and effective flow, the meeting was separated into three-panel sessions in accordance with the three pillars of ASEAN Community Vision 2025. The first-panel session raised the theme of “The Politics and Security of the Sea under the Blue Economy” under the Political and Economic Cooperation pillar. Moderated by Dr. Yang Yue, a Deputy Director of the Institute of Asian Studies, China Foreign Affairs University, the session was managed to feature a representative from NACT Lao PDR, represented by Ms. Haknilan Inthalath that delivered a presentation entitled “ASEAN-China Partnership in Blue Economy Development to Accelerate Post-pandemic Recovery”. Continued by a presentation from Prof. Su Hao, a representative of NACT China. He delivered a presentation entitled “Deepening the China-ASEAN Partnership on Blue Economy by Increasing Political Conditions and Consolidating Security Foundation”.

During the discussion, both presentations elicited strong reactions from the audience in terms of politics and maritime security in the context of blue economy cooperation. Mr. Than Tun, the representative of the NACT Myanmar from the Institute of Sciences and International Security Myanmar observed and respond to the issue by recalling the ASEAN-China pledges to promote the economic growth, in this matter, the political and security approach should be determined as the important aspects to support this implementation. The first panel of the meeting was closed with the discussion and concluded with the need for ASEAN and China to take joint action for those challenges (piracy, illegal fishing, and pollution), not only individual actions by certain countries.

The second panel of the meeting raised a theme on the pillar of Economic Cooperation, entitled “Economic Development and Technological Advancement”, and was moderated by Ms. Yulida Nuraini Santoso, M.Sc, a Managing Director of ASEAN Studies Center Universitas Gadjah Mada. The second-panel session started with the presentation from Dr. Li Feng the other representative of NACT China, who delivered a presentation entitled “Blue Economy to Boom Economy”. Continued by Dr. I Made Andi Arsana the representative of NACT Indonesia presented his thoughts on “Geospatial Clarity towards Blue Economy: Challenges in Maritime Zone and Boundary Definition for Effective Utilization of Ocean Resources”. Dr. Lim Tai Wei from NACT Singapore as the next panelist explained his research on Singaporeans’ perspective on the economic development and technological advancement in the blue economy cooperation. Next, NACT Thailand was represented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thamasak Yeemin from Ramkamhaeng University presented the perspective of Thailand regarding the technological advancement for the blue economy development. Representatives from NACT Vietnam, Dr. Le Trung Kien, and NACT Cambodia, Amb. Pou Sothirak, and the Cambodia Institute for Cooperation and Peace’s Dr. Henry Chan, continued the discussion by explaining their points of view and perspectives.

Last but not least, Dr. Falikul Isbakh from the University of Gadjah Mada’s Department of Sociology moderated the final panel discussion. In the context of blue economy cooperation, the third-panel session addressed the socio-cultural issue of “Maintaining Environmental Conservation.” “Enhancing ASEAN-China Cooperation on Marine Environmental Protection: A Perspective from the Philippines” was delivered by NACT Philippines representative Mr.  Edcel John Ibara, followed by Prof. Li Xia, the third NACT China representative. “Committing Science to Sustainable Resource Management” was the final presentation given by Prof. Dato’ Noraieni Mokhtar of the NACT Malaysia at this NACT Working Group Meeting 2022. There was a productive discussion between the panelists about the opportunities for ASEAN and China in the context of blue economy cooperation before concluding the panel session.

Professor Guo Yanjun, Director of the Institute of Asian Studies at the China Foreign Affairs University, delivered the closing remarks to the NACT Working Group Meeting 2022. According to Professor Guo Yanjun, ASEAN and China are taking advantage of the many opportunities to develop and collaborate on an economic partnership in the blue economy as a way to speed up the post-pandemic recovery process. Professor Guo Yanjun hopes that ASEAN-China cooperation on the blue economy will be one of the most vigorous and promising cooperations in ASEAN Community Vision 2025’s three pillars.

 

Report by
Syukron Subkhi
Media and Publication Officer

2022 Asian Studies+ President Forum

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On Monday 9th May 2022, The ASEAN Studies Center represented by Dr. Dafri Agussalim as our Executive Director accompanied Ir. Panut Mulyono the Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada to attend the virtual meeting on the 2022 Asian Studies+ President Forum hosted by National Chengchi University, Taiwan.

This forum has the objective to invite presidents and rectors from each university participant to present and share their universities’ current developments and prospects for Asian Studies. Besides, the forum is purposed to engage all the participants to exchange ideas on the vision and possibility of establishing a global alliance for Asian Studies in the future.

ASEAN Studies Center UGM has been established in 2013, since then the center has contributed to and generated many publications and policy recommendations for the development of the Southeast Asian region. Hopefully, the meeting will be able to extend our network in ASEAN Region and dialogue partners to enhance the academic approach to the development of ASEAN Community.

#ASEAN #SoutheastAsia #ASEANStudiesCenter #ASC #UGM#GadjahMada #PresidentForum #AsianStudies #Chengchi

NACT Seminar “ASEAN Centrality and ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”

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On the same day of the NACT Country Coordinators’ Meeting, Thursday 7 April 2022, the Network of ASEAN China Think-Tanks held an online webinar entitled “ASEAN Centrality and ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”. The webinar was co-chaired by the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace as the representative of NACT Cambodia and China Foreign Affairs University as the representative of NACT China. The webinar was conducted 2 hours after NACT Country Coordinators’ Meeting.

ASEAN Studies Center Universitas Gadjah Mada as the focal point of NACT Indonesia, represented by Ms. Yulida Nuraini Santoso as the Managing Director of the center delivered a presentation on the topic “Understanding the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP): is Jakarta Steadily Warming up to Beijing?”. Mrs. Yulida highlighted several major points on how meaningful the partnership strategy for China and the ASEAN Member States is, with a minor focus on a case study on its implementation in Jakarta (Indonesia).

 

Report by:
Syukron Subkhi | Media and Publication Officer

#ASC #ASEANStudiesCenter #UGM #SoutheastAsia#BringingASEANCloserToYou #NACT#NetworkOfASEANChinaThinkTanks

Ambassadorial Lecture “Improving the Implementation of ASEAN Charter” with H.E. Amb. Noel Servigon

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This year remarks the 15 years of implementation of the ASEAN Charter that was adopted at the 13th ASEAN Summit in November 2007. In fact, the draft of the ASEAN Charter as the constituent instrument of the association had been formally proposed in 2005 at the 11th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Until now, the ASEAN Charter remains strongly considered as the basic instrument for ASEAN and member countries informing policies and decisions on the regional contexts and issues.

ASEAN Studies Center UGM in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to ASEAN successfully held an Ambassadorial Lecture on Friday, 21st January 2022, entitled “Improving the Implementation of the ASEAN Charter”. The lecture was moderated by Ms. Yulida Nuraini Santoso, the Managing Director of the Center, and invited H.E. Ambassador Noel Servigon as the Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN to deliver the lecture as the main speaker.

In his speech and presentation, Ambassador Noel addressed, through the years the ASEAN Charter has guided the association in various activities. On its implementation, there were several attempts to review the implementation and the provisions of the ASEAN Charter and amend certain portions of the charter back in 2017 in Philippine ASEAN Chairmanship and 2020 in Vietnam ASEAN Chairmanship. Ambassador Noel stated that ASEAN Charter is a living document that must continuously be improved, both in its context as well as in its implementation.

Based on his experience, Ambassador Noel pointed out certain provisions of the charter that needs to be implemented further, he highlighted several provisions on ASEAN Summit, ASEAN Coordinating Council, ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, ASEAN Community Councils, ASEAN Sectoral Ministerial Bodies, ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting, ASEAN Committee of Permanent Representatives, ASEAN Secretary-General and the ASEAN Secretariat, and lastly is ASEAN Chairman.

The lecture was continued with the Q&A session with the participant and was moderated by Ms. Yulida. The session collected several questions to be addressed by Ambassador Noel, including the question from H.E. Ambassador Will Nankervis, the Ambassador of Australia to ASEAN.

At the end of the lecture, Ambassador Noel addressed the closing speech that he hopes through this kind of webinar and public lecture, ASEAN able to be brought closer to the people in ASEAN Member Countries. These kinds of events managed to raise the awareness and deeper understanding of ASEAN and its charter so that the ASEAN as a regional organization could fulfill the goal of behaving in a rules-based community.

 

Report by: 

  • Syukron Subkhi Media and Publication Officer