The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with high-ranking officials from the ten Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states formally launched the 18th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council meeting yesterday at Taal Vista Hotel, Tagaytay City.
The meeting, which will end today, tackles significant documents geared towards the strengthening of policies for regional cooperation to uplift the condition of its citizens through people-centered and people-oriented approaches that promote sustainable, dynamic, resilient, and inclusive development.
These include the following: ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers; ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Gender Responsive Implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and Sustainable Development Goals; ASEAN Declaration on Ending All Forms of Malnutrition; ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration of Commitment on Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR); Combatting AMR through the One Health Approach; and ASEAN Declaration on the Adoption of the ASEAN Youth Development Index.
During the opening ceremony, DSWD Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Secretary Emmanuel A. Leyco highlighted the importance of the gathering for the enhancement of the lives of citizens, especially the poor and underprivileged sectors in the region.
“Governments need to disaggregate. We need to identify the different layers which form the curve in our models. We need to distinguish sectors of women, children, persons with disability, indigenous peoples, the poor below the poverty line, the poor who lack access to opportunities, and the poor in political power. The people have to take center stage. We need to see even the minutest differentiation among sectors,” he said.
“Governments still leave various government sectors of citizenry in the periphery. We cannot afford to be timid in our work. Our citizens who we represent deserve nothing less,” added the OIC secretary.
The ASCC Council meeting follows the 23rd Senior Officials Committee for the ASEAN ASCC (SOCA) meeting which was also held in Tagaytay earlier this week. ###
