ANRSP attends the ASEAN People's Forum

The ANRSP, represented by Bismo and Ath Thorn (Cambodia Steering Committee Member), attended the ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ ASEAN People Forum in Singapore from 2 till 4th of November 2018. ACSC/APF is a gathering of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Southeast Asia to engage with ASEAN on the issues affecting the region. ASEAN is composed out of 10 countries in South East Asia; Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. The 10 states of ASEAN have very different political systems, which are reflected as well in their representatives attending the forum. After initially focusing on lobbying towards, due to the lack of response, ACSC/APF will mainly build an alternative model of regional integration and people’ solidarity across the Southeast Asia region. In Singapore, delegations were limited to maximum 200 peoples or 20 delegations per country -compared to a total of more than 1.000 people in the ACSC/APF Philippines in 2017, certain topics were considered ‘sensitive’ and there were no officials present from ASEAN or Singapore.

Address the missing link in ASEAN integration: Realize people’s agenda for a Social ASEAN.

Statement of Civil Society, Trade Unions, Migrants, and Parliamentarians in Southeast Asia
to the 22nd Senior Officials Meeting of the ASCC and the 17th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting

On 6-9 March 2017, ASEAN Senior Officials and Ministers will tackle socio-cultural and environmental concerns in the region at the 22nd Senior Officials Meeting of the ASCC and at the 17th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting. The latter will discuss preparations for and the declarations or statements for adoption by the Heads of States at the ASEAN Summit, with the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World,” in April.

We – civil society organizations, trade unions, workers, migrants, marginalized sectors, and parliamentarians in Southeast Asia –  urge high officials and leaders in ASEAN to include in the discussions and declarations the perspectives of ordinary women, men, and vulnerable groups aspiring for a better quality of life – a life of dignity.
We call on the Senior Officials, Ministers, and Heads of States of ASEAN to make the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN truly meaningful by leaving a golden legacy to the peoples in Southeast Asia; make “people-oriented, people-centered ASEAN” a reality. Adopt the people’s agenda for a Social ASEAN.
Majority of the peoples in Southeast Asia have been suffering from economic and social deprivation, insecurity, social exclusion and oppression as inequalities continue to widen. More than 65% of the workforce in the region are in precarious work – without permanent and decent jobs, access to social services and social protection, and without adequate income that could enable them a life with dignity.  Less than 30% of the population have social protection as government expenditure for social protection remains low. In Southeast Asia, an average of only 3% of GDP per country goes to social protection and in 4 of the ASEAN countries it is below 2%.