ASEAN, Australia strengthen cooperation in women, peace, security matters
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne attended an ASEAN-Australia dialogue themed “Women, peace and security: progressing implementation on the road to recovery from COVID-19” on November 9.
This was the first event jointly held by the ASEAN and Australia after both sides set up a comprehensive strategic partnership, which drew many senior officials of ASEAN and Australia, ambassadors of ASEAN countries in Hanoi as well as leading experts and scholars in the region and the world.
Opening the event, Minister Son said that promotion of women's in-depth and extensive engagement in regional peace and security issues is an important topic that is discussed deeply among the ASEAN.
He highlighted the importance of the dialogue in continuing the Vietnamese-initiated agenda on women empowerment in 2020 as well as encouraging and creating favourable conditions for partners to participate deeper in ASEAN cooperation activities, thus paving the way for more discussions on women’s role in the region.
Stressing that women and girls are the most vulnerable groups amid COVID-19 crisis but also an important force in pandemic fight, Son said that they should be considered the centre of efforts in dealing with the crisis and post-pandemic recovering.
For her part, Payne pledged to coordinate with the ASEAN in speeding up the implementation of international commitments and the UN Resolution on Women, Peace and Security, thus strengthening women’s engagement in international peacekeeping operations, humanitarian aid, and making more investment in protecting women’s rights in the community.
She said that cooperation in women-related areas is a priority of Australia. The Australian Government will support the ASEAN in implementing a number of projects in digital transformation, vocational training, enhancing institutional capacity, as well as cooperation programmes in gender equality, while promoting projects on women, peace and security, she said.
Australia will set aside 10 million AUD for the strengthening of cooperation in women, peace and security in the region, she said.
Participants at the event discussed measures to enhance the leadership and voice of women in policy-making and increase the economic power of women, making gender equality and women empowerment an important priority in the process of building the ASEAN Community Post-2025 Vision. They also sought ways to promote women’s role in overcoming COVID-19 impacts as well as common efforts in dealing with major challenges in armed conflicts, extreme violence, climate changes, poverty and social inequality.
They agreed to optimise efficiency of ASEAN-led mechanisms and support from international organisations, while promoting outcomes reached over the years in the field, especially those achieved in 2020.
The ASEAN-Australia Dialogue on Women, Peace and Security was first held in 2018, becoming one of the important joint activities of both sides in the field.
Vietnam spotlights ADMM’s role in building common awareness on regional security issues
Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang highlighted the role played by the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) over the last 15 years in strengthening trust and building common awareness on regional security issues, including the East Sea issue, through creating a framework for defence ministerial-level dialogue and consultation in the region.
Addressing the ADMM Retreat 2021 held online on November 10 under the chair of Brunei’s Second Minister of Defence Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Md Yussof, the Vietnamese officer said since the ADMM 2011 in Indonesia, the East Sea issue has been considered a common regional issue, and has been regularly discussed and included in joint statements by the ADMM.
Regarding challenges to ASEAN's central role in cooperation with its partners, Giang said in the context that big countries have formed more and more multilateral mechanisms and new strategies, ADMM has and will continue to make efforts to demonstrate its role and position towards ensuring a balance of interests inside and outside the bloc, and ensure that countries outside ASEAN have responsibility for common issues of the region.
Giang stressed that ASEAN needs to stick to its principled stance on the East Sea, settle disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), strongly promote the commitment of countries to abide by international law, act responsibly, exercise self-restraint, refrain from actions that cause tension or complicate the situation, fully and effectively implement the the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), promote the early completion of an effective and efficient Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in accordance with international law and UNCLOS 1982.
At the retreat, Brunei said that the Retreat focuses on how to further promote the role of ADMM in moving the ASEAN Community forward in the spirit of the ASEAN 2021 theme of “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper”.
He updated participants on cooperation since the 15th ADMM and the 8th ADMM in June this year.
The Ministers also exchanged views on the strategic direction of ADMM on the occasion of the 15th founding anniversary of ADMM./.
Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne attended an ASEAN-Australia dialogue themed “Women, peace and security: progressing implementation on the road to recovery from COVID-19” on November 9.
This was the first event jointly held by the ASEAN and Australia after both sides set up a comprehensive strategic partnership, which drew many senior officials of ASEAN and Australia, ambassadors of ASEAN countries in Hanoi as well as leading experts and scholars in the region and the world.
Opening the event, Minister Son said that promotion of women's in-depth and extensive engagement in regional peace and security issues is an important topic that is discussed deeply among the ASEAN.
He highlighted the importance of the dialogue in continuing the Vietnamese-initiated agenda on women empowerment in 2020 as well as encouraging and creating favourable conditions for partners to participate deeper in ASEAN cooperation activities, thus paving the way for more discussions on women’s role in the region.
 Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne attend the ASEAN-Australia dialogue themed “Women, peace and security: progressing implementation on the road to recovery from COVID-19”. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA  Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son speaks to open the ASEAN-Australia dialogue. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA  Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne delivers a speech at the dialogue. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA  Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and his Australian counterpart Marise Payne co-chair the annual third Vietnam – Australia Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Hanoi. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA  Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son and his Australian counterpart Marise Payne. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA  The two Foreign Ministers witness the signing a memorandum of understanding between the two sides. Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA  Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has a reception for Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne. Photo: VNA  The meeting between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne. Photo: VNA  Minister of Public Security General To Lam recieves Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne. Photo: Pham Kien/VNA |
For her part, Payne pledged to coordinate with the ASEAN in speeding up the implementation of international commitments and the UN Resolution on Women, Peace and Security, thus strengthening women’s engagement in international peacekeeping operations, humanitarian aid, and making more investment in protecting women’s rights in the community.
| The ASEAN-Australia Dialogue on women, peace and security was first held in 2018, becoming one of the important joint activities of both sides in the field. |
Australia will set aside 10 million AUD for the strengthening of cooperation in women, peace and security in the region, she said.
Participants at the event discussed measures to enhance the leadership and voice of women in policy-making and increase the economic power of women, making gender equality and women empowerment an important priority in the process of building the ASEAN Community Post-2025 Vision. They also sought ways to promote women’s role in overcoming COVID-19 impacts as well as common efforts in dealing with major challenges in armed conflicts, extreme violence, climate changes, poverty and social inequality.
They agreed to optimise efficiency of ASEAN-led mechanisms and support from international organisations, while promoting outcomes reached over the years in the field, especially those achieved in 2020.
The ASEAN-Australia Dialogue on Women, Peace and Security was first held in 2018, becoming one of the important joint activities of both sides in the field.
Vietnam spotlights ADMM’s role in building common awareness on regional security issues
Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang highlighted the role played by the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) over the last 15 years in strengthening trust and building common awareness on regional security issues, including the East Sea issue, through creating a framework for defence ministerial-level dialogue and consultation in the region.
| The ASEAN-RoK Defense Ministers’ Informal Meeting was held virtually on November 10. The meeting was co-chaired by Brunei’s Second Minister of Defence Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Md Yussof, and RoK Defense Minister Suh Wook. Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang led a Vietnamese delegation to attend the meeting. |
Addressing the ADMM Retreat 2021 held online on November 10 under the chair of Brunei’s Second Minister of Defence Major General (Retired) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Md Yussof, the Vietnamese officer said since the ADMM 2011 in Indonesia, the East Sea issue has been considered a common regional issue, and has been regularly discussed and included in joint statements by the ADMM.
| The ASEAN – Australia Defense Ministers Informal Meeting was held virtually on November 10, with in the framework of the ADMM Retreat 2021. |
Regarding challenges to ASEAN's central role in cooperation with its partners, Giang said in the context that big countries have formed more and more multilateral mechanisms and new strategies, ADMM has and will continue to make efforts to demonstrate its role and position towards ensuring a balance of interests inside and outside the bloc, and ensure that countries outside ASEAN have responsibility for common issues of the region.
 Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang leads a Vietnamese military high-ranking delegation to attend the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Retreat 2021 held online. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang attends the retreat in Hanoi. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  View of the ADMM Retreat 2021 held online. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  The Vietnamese military high-ranking delegation at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Retreat 2021 held online. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang leads a Vietnamese military high-ranking delegation to attend the ASEAN – RoK Defense Ministers Informal Meeting held virtually. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang attends the ASEAN – RoK Defense Ministers Informal Meeting in Hanoi. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  Within the framework of ADMM, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Defense Hoang Xuan Chien attends the ASEAN – Australia Defense Ministers Informal Meeting held virtually. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA  |
At the retreat, Brunei said that the Retreat focuses on how to further promote the role of ADMM in moving the ASEAN Community forward in the spirit of the ASEAN 2021 theme of “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper”.
He updated participants on cooperation since the 15th ADMM and the 8th ADMM in June this year.
The Ministers also exchanged views on the strategic direction of ADMM on the occasion of the 15th founding anniversary of ADMM./.
By VNA/VNP
