US-ASEAN ties to be upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November: Statement

WASHINGTON — The United States and ASEAN countries’ leaders have met for the US-ASEAN Special Summit in Washington on May 12-13. Following is the full text of the statement:

ASEAN-U.S. Special Summit 2022, Joint Vision Statement 

MAY 13, 2022

WE, the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United States gather on the occasion of the ASEAN-U.S. Special Summit, the first-ever to be held in Washington, D.C., on 12-13 May 2022.

EMPHASIZING the importance of adhering to key principles, shared values and norms enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, the ASEAN Charter, the Declaration on Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN), the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP); 

EMPHASIZING the importance of creating a peaceful environment for further enhancing cooperation and strengthening the existing bonds of friendship among our countries in keeping with the principles of equality, partnership, consultation, and mutual respect, guided by the principles of the East Asia Summit (EAS) Declaration on the Principles for Mutually Beneficial Relations (Bali Principles); 

RECOGNIZING that our cooperation has long been indispensable to ASEAN, to the United States, and to the broader international community, beginning with our first dialogue, in Manila in 1977, and growing with the United States’ signing of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia; with the establishment of a U.S. Mission to ASEAN, in Jakarta; and with the founding of the ASEAN-U.S. Summit; 

NOTING that both the AOIP and the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States share relevant fundamental principles in promoting an open, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture, in which ASEAN is central, alongside partners who share in these goals; 

REAFFIRMING our shared commitment to strengthen and build more comprehensive ASEAN-U.S. Dialogue Relations, which have long been indispensable to ASEAN and the United States, as well as the broader region and the international community, in order to continue promoting and maintaining peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region; to ensure that relations remain adaptable to meet new challenges; and to appropriately cooperate in international and regional fora of which ASEAN Member States and the United States are members. 

FURTHER REAFFIRMING our shared commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security and stability in the region, as well as to the peaceful resolution of disputes, including full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to the threat or use of force, in accordance with international law. 

WE HEREBY DECLARE: 

As we celebrate the 45th anniversary of ASEAN-U.S. Dialogue Relations in 2022, we commit to establish an ASEAN-U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that is meaningful, substantive, and mutually beneficial at the 10th ASEAN-U.S. Summit in November 2022. We look forward to the early completion of the necessary process.

Fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, building better health security, and recovering together  

• We support ASEAN’s pandemic recovery and health security efforts by strengthening regional and national health systems and capabilities, such as through the ASEAN-U.S. Health Futures initiative, and commit to adequate, stronger and sustainable global financing for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, including supporting ongoing efforts with the World Bank and the World Health Organization. In welcoming support extended by ASEAN Dialogue Partners through various initiatives, including the Quad Vaccine Partnership, we remain committed to facilitating equitable access to safe, affordable and quality medicine and health services. We are also committed to expanding local and regional sustainable manufacturing capacity of essential medical products, including through transfer of knowledge on voluntary and mutually agreed terms and provision of technical assistance. We are committed to investing in and strengthening health systems through Universal Health Coverage, in particular primary health care and access to essential health services, and expanding and training the health workforce as strong foundations for regional and global health and health security.  

Strengthening Economic Ties and Connectivity  

• We are committed to continuing to advance stronger, more equitable, more inclusive economic growth and sustainable development, including through the implementation of the ASEAN-U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement and Expanded Economic Engagement Initiatives Workplan, and through the vital economic participation of the U.S. in the region. 

     

• We are committed to working to meet the region’s infrastructure needs by catalyzing investment in high-standard, transparent, low-carbon and climate-resilient infrastructure projects that advance inclusive and sustainable economic growth that meet applicable international labor standards and environmental protections.

     

• We are committed to continuing to cooperate to promote trade and investment and facilitating resilient global supply chains and seamless regional connectivity, including for essential goods such as medical supplies, medicines, vaccines, food and agricultural products, commodities, high-tech products, and other essential supplies and services, contributing to sustainable economic recovery and resilience in the region. 

     

• We seek to deepen our collaboration on transport connectivity, including air, land, maritime, and transport facilitation program to advance sustainable infrastructure development and support emerging technologies, including electric vehicles. 

     

• We remain committed to and invested in prosperity and development in ASEAN and the United States. We will actively partner in the discussions to strengthen regional and global governance systems, and we look forward to further strengthening cooperation including through relevant initiatives or frameworks of the United States or ASEAN. 

     

• We are committed to improving cybersecurity capabilities, promoting digital literacy and inclusion, and strengthening frameworks and policies that foster efficiency, innovation, communication, safe and equitable use of the internet and economic prosperity while exchanging views and experiences on cyber threats and on regulatory framework and technical standards that protect personal data in light of emerging technologies and their vulnerabilities.

     

Promoting Maritime Cooperation  

• We note the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/75/239 emphasizing in the Preamble, the universal and unified character of the 1982 UNCLOS, and reaffirming that the Convention sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out and is of strategic importance as the basis for national, regional and global action and cooperation in the marine sector, and that its integrity needs to be maintained. 

     

• We are committed to advancing our cooperation in the maritime domain through ASEAN-led mechanisms. We plan to forge new ties as well as to promote cooperation and coordination among our relevant agencies, including maritime law enforcement agencies, to collaborate to improve maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, maritime security, and to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing through sharing of information, best practices and expertise, as well as technical assistance, which will complement, and not duplicate the existing mechanisms. We also commit to continuing efforts to protect, restore, and sustainably manage the marine environment.  

     

• We are dedicated to maintaining peace, security, and stability in the region, and to ensuring maritime security and safety, as well as freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the seas as described in the 1982 UNCLOS, and unimpeded lawful maritime commerce as well as non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of activities.  

     

• We recognise the benefits of having the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability, and prosperity. We emphasise the importance of practical measures that could reduce tensions and the risk of accidents, misunderstandings, and miscalculation. We stressed the importance of undertaking confidence building and preventive measures to enhance, among others, trust and confidence amongst parties. We further reaffirmed the need to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. 

     

• We underscored the importance of the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety. We emphasized the need to maintain and promote an environment conducive to the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) negotiations. We welcome further progress towards the early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC consistent with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

     

Enhancing People-to-people connectivity  

• We are committed to investing in human capital development, empowering youth and vulnerable or marginalized groups, and strengthening the connections between our peoples, among others, support for English language, digital skills, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) trainings in the region, including through the Billion Futures Program and the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).

     

• We commit to working with partners, including companies and universities, to increase access to education while fostering collaboration and exchanges among our students and workers. Furthermore, we are committed to empowering women and girls and promoting gender equity and equality through enhanced engagement in ASEAN-led mechanisms, including through support for ASEAN’s gender programs and initiatives. We also commit to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities through supporting implementation of the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan on Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  

Supporting Sub-regional Development  

• We are committed to supporting ASEAN Centrality and unity in promoting ASEAN’s sub-regional development. We further commit to promoting the stability, peace, prosperity, and sustainable development of the Mekong sub-region through shared initiatives under the Mekong-U.S. Partnership (MUSP), which complements the Friends of the Mekong, and supports the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan IV (2021-2025).  

     

• We support ASEAN’s efforts in promoting equitable development, including in the fields of energy transition, transportation, environmental protection, regional resources management, and water data sharing in accordance with the Mekong River Commission’s Procedures for Data and Information Exchange and Sharing (PDIES), by aligning sub-regional growth with the comprehensive development of ASEAN, and to promote complementarity and synergy among ASEAN, MUSP and other existing Mekong cooperation mechanisms.  

Leveraging Technologies and Promoting Innovation  

• We are committed to further exploring cooperation in areas of mutual benefit such as smart manufacturing, blockchain applications, trade facilitation, digital connectivity, digitalisation and e-commerce of MSMEs, e-services, digital financial services and regional payment connectivity,new and emerging technologies in line with relevant ASEAN agreements and frameworks, as well as increase technical assistance for ASEAN Member States to promote innovation, and capacity building on digital skills.  

     

• We commit to support the development of ASEAN’s digital infrastructure, to promote the development of peaceful, secure, open, interoperable, reliable, inclusive, and resilient Information and Communications Technology (ICT) ecosystems and 5G networks, and explore ways to strengthen cooperation on digital economy, smart, sustainable city development and emerging technologies, including through the U.S.-ASEAN Smart Cities Partnership (USASCP).  

     

• We are committed to enhancing collaboration in biotechnology, smart farming, both precision agriculture and climate-smart agriculture (CSA), food science, meteorology, microelectronics, marine science, energy, and space.   

Addressing Climate Change  

• We are further committed to working together to advance our respective nationally determined contributions (NDC). We affirm the key role that sub-national actors play in advancing climate action, and intend to collaborate together in the clean energy transition, including through financing and technology. We recognize the importance of taking strong action to reduce methane emissions globally, including through efforts underway such as the Global Methane Pledge. 

     

• We are committed to intensifying our partnership to bolster ASEAN’s capacity to enhancedisaster resiliency and adapt to the effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels, more frequent flooding, drought and other extreme weather events, heightened risk of water-energy-food insecurity, and ever-more-destructive storms. 

     

• We resolve to enhance energy transition and resilience in  an inclusive and just manner through the facilitation of clean and renewable energy development, the promotion of public-private collaboration to address transition financing needs, including through blended finance, and the deployment of advanced and emerging low-carbon energy technologies in supporting increased access to energy services and  energy security, including ongoing efforts, such as elements of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) that support the acceleration of energy transition and strengthening of energy resilience in ASEAN, particularly the ASEAN Power Grid.

     

• We resolve to work together to conserve ASEAN’s rich biodiversity and its natural capital, including through preventing, halting and reversing deforestation, and the degradation of ecosystems, as well as the restoration of critical ecosystems including forests, and wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems, and the continued collaboration with the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).  

Preserving Peace, Building Trust  

• We support ASEAN’s efforts to preserve the Southeast Asian region as a Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and free of all other weapons of mass destruction, as enshrined in the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ Treaty) and the ASEAN Charter tostrengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime, and to nuclear disarmament as stipulated in Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and peaceful uses of nuclear energy as set forth in NPT Article IV. We remain committed to universalization of the IAEA additional protocol, and support full implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (CWC) and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction (BTWC). 

     

• We reaffirm a shared commitment to the goal of the complete denuclearization and the establishment of a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. We continue to call on the DPRK to fully comply with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, taking into account the international community’s call for diplomacy and in the interest of maintaining peace and security in the region.

     

• We remain deeply concerned over the crisis in Myanmar. We highlight Myanmar’s commitment to the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus during  the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting on 24 April 2021 and urge the timely and complete implementation of the Five-Point Consensus. We will continue to support ASEAN’s efforts to facilitate a peaceful solution in the interest of the people of Myanmar, including through the work of the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar,in building confidence and trust with full access to all parties concerned, and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar, including those who are the most in need, without discrimination. We reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the region and continue to call for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar and for the release of allpolitical detainees, including foreigners. We will redouble our collective efforts towards a peaceful solution in Myanmar that also reflects a continued commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, as outlined in the ASEAN Charter. We welcome close coordination between the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar and the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Myanmar to ensure synergy in this important endeavor. 

     

• With regard to Ukraine, as for all nations, we continue to reaffirm our respect for sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity. We reiterate our call for compliance with the UN Charter and international law. We underline the importance of an immediate cessation of hostilities and creating an enabling environment for peaceful resolution. We support the efforts of the UN Secretary-General in the search for a peaceful solution. We also call for the facilitation of rapid, safe and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance for those in need in Ukraine, and for the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel, and persons in vulnerable situations.

     

• As we proceed with implementation of this ambitious agenda in the coming months and years, we look forward to reaching a new level of cooperation and partnership and task our Ministers to coordinate the implementation of this Joint Vision Statement.