On 2 November 2019, H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand chaired the 24th ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) Meeting, to prepare for the upcoming 35^th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.

         The Meeting finalised the agenda and the outcome documents for the said Summits. The Meeting welcomed the three ASEAN Centres that would be launched during the opening ceremony of the 35^th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, namely, the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue, the ASEAN Centre for Active Ageing and Innovation, and the ASEAN Training Centre for Social Work and Social Welfare. The Meeting also followed up on decisions made at the 34^th ASEAN Summit, particularly how to foster a people-centred ASEAN Community that leaves no one behind and looks to the future.

          The Secretary-General of ASEAN briefed the Meeting on the achievements made under Thailand’s ASEAN Chairmanship theme of “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability,” which highlighted issues such as poverty eradication, human capital development, and the progress of implementation in key areas such as the Complementarities Initiative, the ASEAN Network for Combatting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, the ASEAN Smart Cities Network, and the strengthening of ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN organs. 

          The Meeting further discussed progress made under the ASEAN Vision 2025, the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific, facilitation of increased intra-ASEAN trade and investment, and negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). In addition, the Meeting discussed the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, promotion of an ASEAN identity, youth exchange, green and sustainable growth, and cooperation with external partners.

            The Meeting was also updated on efforts made in promoting the complementarities between the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Complementarities Roadmap, and the deliberations made at the recent ASEAN High-Level Meeting on Human Capital held on 9 September 2019 in Bangkok.

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