MANILA – Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) adopted the “ASEAN Declaration on Culture of Prevention for a Peaceful, Inclusive, Resilient, Healthy and Harmonious Society” during the 31st ASEAN Summit held in Manila.
The Declaration is a landmark outcome document which aims to strengthen cross-pillar and cross-sectoral coordination in addressing violent extremism and other forms of violence in the region such as criminality, drug use and trafficking, and violence against women and children, among others, which may be the result of external societal factors such as poverty, inequality, lack of access to basic services, corruption, and racial and religious discriminations, among others.
It underscores the need to address the root causes of violence through the Declaration’s six (6) thrusts, namely, (a) culture of peace and intercultural understanding; (b) culture of respect for all; (c) culture of good governance at all levels; (d) culture of resilience and care for the environment; (e) culture of healthy lifestyle; and (f) culture supporting the values of moderation.
With the engagement of the three ASEAN Community Pillars – ASEAN Political-Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community, and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community – in the development of measures and activities to prevent violent extremism and other forms of violence, ASEAN will get closer to achieving its vision of being a peaceful, inclusive, resilient, healthy, and harmonious community.
The Declaration underscores ASEAN’s resolve to promote the overall well-being of its peoples. It will help build a community that is peaceful and stable which will bring more opportunities for economic growth and socio-cultural development.
The adoption of the Declaration signals the region’s commitment to a proactive approach in preventing threats to regional peace and security. (DFA)
