Cambodia this afternoon issued a press release outlining the outcomes of the 28th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council Meeting held in Phnom Penh.
13 October 2022, Phnom Penh, Cambodia—His Excellency Dr. HANG CHUON NARON, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport and Chair of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council hosted the 28th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council Meeting (28th ASCC Meeting). The Opening Ceremony of the Meeting was presided over by Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Chair of ASEAN. Attendance in the Meeting included ASCC Ministers, Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN, ASEAN Secretariat, Senior Official Committee for ASCC (SOCA) Leaders, and Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to ASEAN of the ten ASEAN Member States.
The 28th ASCC Meeting reiterated support on Cambodia’s Chairmanship theme “ASEAN A.C.T: Addressing Challenges Together.” The Meeting also reaffirmed support for 2022 Cambodia ASCC priorities: (1) enhance ASEAN values, awareness and identity, (2) promote human resource development and women empowerment, (3) enhance health, well-being and social protection; and (4) strengthen ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community’s institutional capacity and effectiveness.
The ASCC Ministers acknowledged the SOCA report on the progress of the ASCC priority areas in 2022 and deliverables under Cambodia’s Chairmanship and highlights of issues and matters discussed at the 33rd SOCA Meeting held virtually on 5 October 2022. The Meeting endorsed 11 outcome documents for adoption and 20 outcome documents for notation by ASEAN Leaders at the coming 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits. Chair of SOCA also elaborated on the cross-sectoral and cross pillar works and the progresses of the previous ASCC initiatives including the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework; Circular Economy, Hanoi Declaration on the ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision; Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration on the ASEAN Strategic and Holistic Implementation to Link ASEAN Responses to Emergencies and Disasters (ASEAN SHIELD); and the status of Timor Leste’s application for ASEAN Membership.
ASCC Ministers of the ten ASEAN Member States and Secretary General of ASEAN provided additional views and discussed strategic directions for ASCC. The Council endorsed the ASCC assessment report, which was developed upon the ASCC Fact-Finding Mission in July 2022, on Timor-Leste’s membership application. ASCC Ministers also agreed to expedite the deployment of the Secondment Officers to ASEAN to meet up the full quorum of CPR in order to strengthen ASCC institutional effectiveness. The meeting acknowledged the major impacts of the Covid-19 pandemics and the role of digital education to enhance innovative skills for industry 4.0. The meeting also agreed to make collective efforts to strengthen and address ASCC work including health, climate change, social protection, sport, youth, culture, migrant workers, digital technology, women empowerment, information, environment, disaster management, rural development among others.
His Excellency Dr. HANG CHUON NARON, ASCC Chair, also took the opportunity to highlight key deliverables under 2022 Cambodia’s Chairmanship, which include ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on Year of ASEAN Youth 2022; Reopen, Recover and Resilience in Education: Guidelines for ASEAN Countries; Siem Reap Declaration on Promoting a Creative and Adaptive ASEAN Community to Support the Cultural and Creative Economy; ASEAN Declaration on Portability of Social Security Benefits for Migrant Workers in ASEAN among others.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press