DSWD to ASEAN members: Abide by adopted documents

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and the rest of the leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states and dialogue partners do the traditional ASEAN handshake as they pose for a photo during the opening of the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Summits at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City on November 13, 2017. The dialogue partners include New Zealand, Timor-Leste, Republic of Korea, USA, Australia, India, China, and Japan. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA— The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has called on sectoral bodies under the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) pillar to abide by the documents adopted during the 31st ASEAN Summit.

“We encourage the sectoral bodies under the ASCC to follow through the aforesaid documents with concrete programs and activities which would benefit the ASEAN peoples,” said DSWD officer-in-charge, Undersecretary Emmanuel Leyco, during a media briefing held at the International Media Center Monday.

Leyco said that to date, 14 out of 15 ASCC sectoral bodies have finalized their respective agenda and work plans/programs for 2016-2020.

He said the sole document that has been signed by the ASEAN leaders was the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

He said leaders also adopted the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Ending All Forms of Malnutrition; ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) – Combatting AMR through One Health Approach; ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Disaster Health Management; ASEAN Declaration on the Gender-Responsive Implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and Sustainable Development Goals; ASEAN Declaration on the Adoption of the ASEAN Youth Development Index; ASEAN Declaration on “Culture of Prevention” for a Peaceful, Inclusive, Resilient, Healthy and Harmonious Society; ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change to the 23rd Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP-23); and Joint Statement on Promoting Women, Peace and Security in ASEAN.

The ASCC is one of the three pillars of the ASEAN, the other two being the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) and ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

It serves as a commitment to lift the quality of life of the peoples of ASEAN member countries through cooperative activities that are people-oriented, people-centered, environment friendly, and geared towards the promotion of sustainable development.