2nd ASEAN Civil Society Conference Held in Cebu
Posted:  January 30, 2007   04:35:47pm

All systems go for the ACSC2: Participants brave storm, terror threat despite ASEAN Summit’s postponement...

DESPITE the postponement of the ASEAN Summit, members of civil society held the 2nd ASEAN Civil Society Conference from December 10-12, 2006 at the Montebello Villa Hotel in Cebu, Philippines.

Participants of the three-day civil society meeting dubbed ACSC2 braved the storm and travel advisories warning of a possible terrorist threat and arrived in Cebu as planned despite the official Summit’s last minute postponement.

With the theme: “Creating a Sharing and Caring Community: Enhancing People’s Participation in Governance and Development” the participants thoroughly discussed issues on political and security cooperation, economic cooperation and socio-cultural cooperation among ASEAN member-countries.

Corinna Lopa, member of the Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy (SAPA) Working Group on ASEAN, said that participants have continuously tried to engage with the ASEAN, giving valuable inputs on various ASEAN-related issues, which were then submitted to the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) tasked to help create the proposed ASEAN Charter.

SAPA is a coalition of NGOs from ASEAN member-states that spearheaded the ACSC2 as well as the national country processes that were organized prior to the December gathering in Cebu.

“We don’t see the postponement of the ASEAN Summit as a setback to the ACSC2 because this in fact gives civil society more time to submit our inputs to the Eminent Persons Group (EPG),” Lopa explained.

The EPG is tasked to help create the proposed ASEAN Charter during the Summit, which the Philippine government has decided to move to January on account of bad weather.

The Philippine government through Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita explained the last minute postponement was due to weather forecaster’s prediction that a strong typhoon would likely hit Cebu and endanger the lives of the heads of state participating the ASEAN Summit.

He said it has nothing to do with alleged terrorist threats although there have been advisories from the governments of the US, UK, Japan, and others earlier in the day warning of terrorist attacks in Cebu.

The SAPA Working Group on the ASEAN has been engaging the ASEAN through its EPG especially on key issues that regional civil society think should be reflected in the ASEAN Charter to build a truly caring and sharing ASEAN community.

Lopa underscored the importance of the parallel meeting to tackle issues relating to ASEAN integration that will also be taken up by the official ASEAN Summit.

“The integration of the ASEAN is too important to be left to the state and the private sector – it is crucial to push strong measures of accountability and transparency in this process,” Lopa said further.

The ACSC 2 organizers believe the issues facing the ASEAN as it proceeds towards greater political and economic integration need more civil society input particularly on how the people will deal with the adverse impacts of greater economic openness and movement of capital, labor and industries among the 10 ASEAN countries.

ASEAN member-countries are expected to review its varying sets of laws and policies that provide for social safety nets including guarantees to protect the environment, and even the broader recognition of human rights.

The issue of regional integration is crucial given that the ASEAN, once fully integrated, is a market comprised of some 500 million people, in a territory that spans 4.5 million sq. km., with total trade cost of US$750 million.