Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly

8 August 2022

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His Excellency Sovann Ke, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the United Nations and Chair of ASEAN New York Committee.

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Excellencies,

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Ladies and Gentlemen.

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I am delighted to join you in commemorating the 55th Anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN.

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I congratulate and commend the Kingdom of Cambodia for their Chairing of ASEAN this year, and for adopting the very timely and relevant theme of “Addressing Challenges Together”.

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Today, our world confronts multiple challenges. The ongoing pandemic, the war in Ukraine, conflicts in Palestine and around the world, food and energy insecurity, economic downturn, and climate change, are only a few of them.

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Regional and sub-regional organizations play a pivotal role in upholding and advancing the multilateralism needed to address these global challenges.

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Excellencies,

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Since its establishment on 8 August 1967, ASEAN has played a pivotal role in the region.

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ASEAN has emerged as a political and economic powerhouse, with a combined population of 670 million people, and a combined GDP of 3.2 trillion US Dollars.?

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Its longstanding commitment to the norms of dialogue, consultation, cooperation and the ASEAN way of doing things has underpinned peace, stability, and prosperity in the region for decades.

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This was demonstrated throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, when ASEAN undertook many effective initiatives to coordinate responses and mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the virus. ?

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The leadership and framework of cooperation provided by ASEAN was critical in helping countries contain the pandemic.

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Excellencies,

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I congratulate ASEAN for the remarkable progress it has made towards the realization of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 in its three pillars, relating to political-security, the economy, and socio-cultural community.

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This vision covers a wide spectrum of cooperation, encompassing many important areas, such as defense, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, economic integration, climate action, disaster risk reduction, as well as women and youth.

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I also welcome the strengthening of the ASEAN-蘑菇视频 partnership in a wide range of areas, including on political-security, economic advancement, disaster-relief, human rights, climate change, and the achievement of the SDGs.

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I believe that the ASEAN-蘑菇视频 Plan of Action 2021-2025 will guide both organizations in further strengthening partnerships in the coming years.

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Let me also take this opportunity to thank ASEAN member states and the ASEAN New York Committee for the strong support they have provided to my Presidency of Hope.

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I have deeply appreciated and benefited by my interactions with ASEAN leaders, parliamentarians, women, youth, and civil society, both during my visits to the region and here in New York.

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Excellencies,

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As ASEAN marks its 55th anniversary, it is my hope that it will continue its role as a driver for peace, stability and prosperity throughout its region, and throughout the world.

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With those sentiments, I once again wish all of you a very Happy ASEAN Day, and I thank you.

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