Asian-African partnership endorsed
Asian-African partnership endorsed
Dwi Atmanta and Adrian Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Ministers from Asia and Africa endorsed on Wednesday
the draft of the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP),
which will serve as a framework for political solidarity,
economic cooperation and sociocultural ties between the
continents.
The draft declaration, scheduled to be signed by heads of
state/government and representatives of countries during the
commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1955 Asia-Africa
Conference in Bandung on Sunday, commits the signatories to
achieving their common goals of peace, prosperity and progress.
The declaration reaffirms the countries' adherence to the Ten
Principles of the Bandung Conference adopted in 1955. It also
calls for the recognition of diversity between and within
regions, including social and economic systems and levels, the
promotion of nonexclusive cooperation, a just, democratic,
transparent, accountable and harmonious society, protection of
human rights and the promotion of collective and unified efforts
in multilateral fora.
Practical cooperation in areas such as trade, industry,
investment, finance, tourism, energy, health, agriculture, water
resources and fisheries is also emphasized in the new partnership
framework.
Asian and African nations will also address common areas of
concern like armed conflict, weapons of mass destruction,
transnational crime and terrorism, which are fundamental to
ensuring peace, stability and security.
The group is also determined to prevent conflict, resolve
disputes by peaceful means and endeavor to explore confidence-
building and dispute-resolution mechanisms, as well as mechanisms
for post-conflict peace building.
To develop this partnership, a summit of heads of
state/government will be held every four years, a meeting of
foreign ministers every two years and sectoral ministerial and
other technical meetings when necessary.
The nations also remain steadfast in their support for the
Palestinian people and the creation of a viable and sovereign
Palestinian state.
In his opening remarks, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hassan Wirayuda said the implementation of the vision of the
Bandung Spirit of 1955 was hindered by the absence of effective
mechanisms for interregional cooperation.
Over the years, these are the aspects of the Bandung Spirit
that we have not been commensurately served by, largely because
we have not been able to develop an appropriate and effective
mechanism for interregional cooperation, he said.
We have not formulated a "do-able" and concrete plan of action
to address the many challenges we are facing, Hassan said.
South African Foreign Minister Dlamini Zuma agreed, saying
stakeholders in the two continents had to actively find concrete
ways to strengthen their cooperation.
The responsibility of making our partnership successful and
effective is collectively shared by us and all other stakeholders
to ensure that we find innovative and concrete ways and means to
strengthen cooperation between these two continents that have
bequeathed to humanity such rich, ancient enduring civilizations,
she said.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar viewed the new
partnership as part of the historical evolution of South-South
cooperation.
While we realize the importance that NAASP should complement
and strengthen, rather than detract from, current initiatives on
South-South cooperation, it can nevertheless add value to these
initiatives by strengthening interregional cooperation among the
countries of Asia and Africa, thus filling a lacuna that has
existed for 50 years, he said.
He added that the new partnership should focus on certain
sectors such as capacity building.
The NAASP can play a useful role in helping to forge a
partnership geared toward capacity building, strengthening public
infrastructure and government institutions and structures,
through the exchange of experience, he said.