DSWD to host 2 ASEAN meetings in Tagaytay

 The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will host the 23rd Senior Officials Meeting for ASCC (SOCA) and 18th ASCC Council Meeting (Photo: Department of Social Welfare and Development/ Facebook)

MANILA – As chair of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) pillar, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will host the 23rd Senior Officials Meeting for ASCC (SOCA) and 18th ASCC Council Meeting at Taal Vista, Tagaytay City on September 11-14.

Senior officials of the 10 ASEAN member states will reconvene to discuss the progress of the different outcome documents produced during the 22nd SOCA and 17th ASCC Council Meeting held last March 6-9. These documents focus on humanitarian development in the ASEAN region.

The 23rd SOCA meeting will discuss a total of 11 outcome documents, two of which are for signing, seven for adoption, and two for notation by the ASEAN Leaders come November.

On the other hand, the 18th ASCC Council meeting will discuss the progress of other outcome documents, namely the 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 the ASEAN Declaration on the Adoption of the ASEAN Youth Development Index.

These documents are aligned with two of the six thematic priorities of ASEAN 2017 – a people-oriented, people-centered and resilient ASEAN.

Some 120 attendees are expected to attend the meetings to further discuss the different efforts of the 10-member states in promoting the welfare and development of the people.

The DSWD chairs the ASCC, one of the three pillars of the ASEAN, which aims to contribute to the realization of an ASEAN Community that is people-oriented and socially responsible to achieve enduring solidarity and unity among the peoples of the ASEAN member states.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.