ASEAN leaders stress multilateral diplomacy in talks with Annan<\/p>\n
P. Parameswaran, Agence France-Presse\/New York<\/p>\n
Leaders of southeast Asian nations, some of whom strongly opposed
\nthe U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, have underlined in talks with UN
\nchief Kofi Annan the need to strengthen multilateral diplomacy.<\/p>\n
\"We expressed support for multilateralism with the United
\nNations at the core,\" read a joint statement by the Association
\nof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after a group meeting here on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
ASEAN leaders gathered on the sidelines of the 60th
\nanniversary of the UN's founding, as 170 world leaders prepared
\nto kick off a landmark three-day summit expected to endorse a
\nwatered-down blueprint to restructure the embattled body.<\/p>\n
The leaders of the 10 mostly developing ASEAN states backed
\nAnnan's efforts \"in making the United Nations a more effective
\norganization that will continue to underpin the multilateral
\nsystem and to meet the challenges of the millennium,\" the
\nstatement added.<\/p>\n
Some of the Southeast Asian leaders, while backing management
\nreforms to bolster UN efficiency, cautioned against diluting the
\npowers of the secretary general, officials said.<\/p>\n
\"We support reforms but . . . do not wish to diminish the role
\nof the UN Secretary-General,\" a regional official said, speaking
\non condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
\nMyanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
The association's predominantly Muslim nations -- Indonesia,
\nMalaysia and Brunei -- were among those opposed to the U.S.-led
\ninvasion of Iraq in 2003.<\/p>\n
One UN reform proposal defining terrorism as deliberate
\nkilling of civilians was shelved after some developing nations
\ninsisted it be balanced by an explicit statement of the right to
\nresist foreign occupation, the officials said.<\/p>\n
The trade-off was an agreement to drop language exempting
\nnational liberation struggles, such as that of the Palestinians.<\/p>\n
However, the right to self-determination of people under
\nforeign occupation was included elsewhere in the text, the
\nofficials added.<\/p>\n
\"There was considerable debate on the language on terrorism
\nand most of the discussion has been on how terrorism relates to
\nthe right of people to self determination,\" Indonesian government
\nspokesman Marty Natalegawa told AFP.<\/p>\n
\"We will regret it very much if our concerns on terrorism lead
\nto diluting of commitments by the international community to
\nsupport the right of peoples to self determination,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Marty said that even though Indonesia had faced terrorist
\nattacks at home and maintained a \"strong stand\" against
\nterrorism, it was mindful of civil liberties and understood the
\nneed to look at the root causes of terror.<\/p>\n
ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong told AFP that ASEAN
\nleaders supported proposed UN management reforms, but were
\nespecially pushing for improvements in \"working methods\" within
\nthe world body.<\/p>\n
He cited the need, for example, for closer coordination
\nbetween the United Nations and its specialized agencies,
\nincluding in disaster management and prevention as well as
\ncontrol of diseases such as the Severe Acute Respiratory
\nSyndrome, the Avian flu and HIV-AIDS.<\/p>\n
On the avian or bird flu, which has killed at least 60 people
\nin Southeast Asia, including 41 in Vietnam, the joint statement
\nexpressed concern over its \"unprecedented spread.\"<\/p>\n
Public health experts fear the avian flu virus is mutating and
\ncould spread to humans, potentially killing millions in a flu
\npandemic.<\/p>\n
Annan and the ASEAN leaders agreed that \"urgent steps\" needed
\nto be taken to implement local, regional and global initiatives
\n-- including the private sector -- to reduce the present shortage
\nof influenza vaccine.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-leaders-stress-multilateral-diplomacy-in-talks-with-annan-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}