APF Core Group Meeting
Civil society engagement with ASEAN is heading in a new direction.
The APF Youth Media Team attended yesterday’s Core Group Meeting held at Focus on the Global South, which brought together representatives from organizations around Southeast Asia, including Forum-Asia, SEACA, TERRA, People’s Empowerment Foundation (P-EMP), Sustainable Agriculture Foundation Thailand and a number of other organizations.
The meeting covered a long list of issues and ran for about 6 hours. APF has decided to host the 2009 Forum in Hua Hin, where the ASEAN Summit will also be held. We are disappointed that the event will not be held in Phuket, as a large contingent of local fisherfolk and activists were planning to attend and present their efforts and challenges (especially regarding the EU-ASEAN FTA). Nevertheless, by locating ourselves near the ASEAN planners and decision-makers, we can make our alternative more visible and our voices more easily heard. The details regarding specific locations will be investigated this coming weekend by Montawadee Krutmechai, Thai-APF coordinator.
The APF will approach ASEAN’s “pillars” in our own way – breaking them down into more recognizable and accessible sections. These sections will then be approached via dialogues with ASEAN ministers. As defined by ASEAN, the structure of these pillars is not representative of inter-connectivity in society. ASEAN’s clear focus is on the regional ecnomic integration – creating a “common market” similar to the EU. Therefore, issues related to socio-culture or the environment are all dumped into one pillar, grouped as concerns less important to ASEAN. Though technically part of the socio-cultural pillar, environment will be approached by the APF independently – TERRA‘s work on the Mekong dams will be an important element of this dialog.
Issues related to migrant workers have been moved into the socio-economic dialogue. The economic dialogue is a major one, planning to approach the impacts of integration (especially from proposed FTAs), the regional minimum wage, the food crisis and ASEAN’s capability in addressing cross-border economic concerns. The Chiang Mai Initiative, ASEAN’s response to the on-going debt crisis generated by the 1997 financial crisis and International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans. The CMI fund is managed by the ASEAN +3 countries, with a “swap” in place of IMF funds, totaling $120 billion (!!!!) China is certainly a major player in this fund’s administration. Forum-Asia is focusing on the political security pillar.
Though there were some questions about the viability of the socio-cultural pillar, it was agreed that it is a space for people’s participation and an opportunity for APF to use ASEAN’s mechanisms. We can use the socio-economic pillar to propose alternatives, hold ASEAN accountable and work to support local identities and cultures. Youth issues will be an added focus in the socio-cultural pillar. SEACA is also starting a series of ASEAN educational workshops throughout Southeast Asia, to educate civil society organizations working with APF about ASEAN policies and plans.
Our on-going engagement and dialogue with ASEAN is facilitated by Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Though we will continue negotiating about Terms of Reference (TOR) and the criteria for APF’s Interface Delegation with ASEAN, we are confident that our voices will be heard and international institutions will be held accountable. The next core group meeting is scheduled for Sept. 21.
