On 27 September 2018, H.E. Mr. Virasakdi Futrakul, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, H.E. Mr. Jorge Chediek, Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on South-South Cooperation, and Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN, officially launched a publication entitled “Mapping South-South Cooperation in ASEAN” at the UN Headquarters in New York. The event was attended by representatives from ASEAN Member States, Dialogue Partners and Sectoral Dialogue Partners, UN agencies as well as the Pacific Islands Development Forum Secretariat.

            With an aim to share successful ASEAN initiatives which are South-South cooperation in nature with other countries and regional organisations, the event presented key findings and recommendations from the publication. Principles of South-South cooperation shared by ASEAN, such as solidarity, respect for sovereignty, and mutual benefits were also highlighted. Furthermore, participants exchanged views on the role of sustainable development cooperation in enhancing ASEAN regional integration. Various ASEAN initiatives, such as the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN), Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and the Complementarities Initiative were presented as living examples of South-South cooperation in ASEAN.

            This event was part of the side events organised by Thailand, as the ASEAN Coordinator on Sustainable Development Cooperation, in the margins of the 73^rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.