Leaders of 10 ASEAN member states and their counterparts from China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan join the online Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on COVID-19 Response (Source: VNA) |
DEEPLY CONCERNED about the unprecedented and severe challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the well-being, livelihood and safety of our peoples and its adverse impact on the socio-economic development of our respective countries and the world at large.
EXPRESSING deepest condolences and sympathies for the loss of life and suffering caused by the pandemic.
RECOGNISING the exponential spread and severity of COVID-19, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared as a pandemic on 11 March 2020.
EMPHASIZING ourgratitude and support to all medical
professionals, healthcare workers and other frontline personnel who have been
working with all their hearts and minds to fight the pandemic, saving people’s
lives.
ACKNOWLEDGING the importance of people’s participation in preventing and
controlling COVID-19.
WELCOMING steps taken by International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to
support countries in need by using and enhancing their instruments in response
to their members’ urgent needs.
SUPPORTING the call by the United Nations Secretary-General for all
nations to respond decisively, innovatively and collectively to suppress the
spread of the virus and address the socio-economic impact of COVID-19.
NOTING the commitment expressed by the G20 Leaders in their Extraordinary
Summit statement of 26 March 2020 to present a united front against the common
threat of COVID-19.
STRESSING the important role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in
the global campaign to control and contain the spread of COVID-19, recognising
the importance of implementing the health measures under the International
Health Regulations (2005) and underscoring the necessity for Universal Health
Coverage (UHC) in addressing public health challenges such as COVID-19;
COGNISANT of the important role of APT cooperation for peace, security
and prosperity in the East Asian region. Emphasising the significance of health
cooperation and its existing mechanisms in addressing public health
challenges,including our successful partnership in fighting the SARS pandemic in
2003.
COMMENDING the timely and active efforts by the APT Health cooperation
platforms and among the Plus Three partners in jointly responding to COVID-19
from its early outbreak.
NOTING with satisfaction the encouraging outcomes of the Special Video
Conference of the APT Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development on 3
February 2020, the China-Japan-RoK Foreign Ministers’ Special Video Conference
on COVID-19 on 20 March 2020; the Special Video Conference of the APT Health
Ministers in enhancing cooperation on COVID-19 on 7 April 2020.
RECOGNISING the decisions to re-organize a number of major events
including the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
WELCOMING the ASEAN Chairman’s Statement of 14 February 2020 and the
Declaration of the Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19 of 14 April 2020 that
demonstrated ASEAN’s highest-level commitment on collective response to the
outbreak of COVID-19, in the spirit of a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN.
SupportingASEAN’s multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder, whole-of-community approach
to address the multi-faceted challenges posed by COVID-19.
REAFFIRMING our shared commitment to strengthen solidarity, enhance cooperation
and mutual support among the APT countries to control and contain the spread of
the pandemic, addressing the adverse impact of the pandemic on our societies and
economies.
To this aim, we hereby resolve to:
STRENGTHEN the early warning system in the region for pandemics and other
epidemic diseases as well as regular, timely, and transparent exchange of
real-time information on the situation on the ground and measures taken by each
country in combating COVID-19; sharing of experience and best practices,
extending mutual technical support in the prevention, containment and control of
transmission as well as clinical treatment of infected cases. Support strong,
collective and orchestrated response for control and treatment to harness
synergies for effective curbing of COVID-19 measures that are relevant and
appropriate to the severity and further evolution of the disease in Member
States and within the region, as guided by: national risk assessments; the
periodic reports on Risk Assessment on the International Dissemination of
COVID-19 in the ASEAN Region; and, subsequent video conferences of the ASEAN
Plus Three SOMHD on policy and strategic matters, and the ASEAN EOC Network on
technical concerns.
ENHANCE national and regional capacities to prepare for and respond to
pandemics, including the protection of healthcare workers and other frontline
personnel, and the provision of adequate medicines and medical supplies,
especially diagnostic tools, personal protective equipment, medical equipment,
by adhering to the objectives of efficacy, safety and accessibility.
CONSIDER setting up an APT reserve of essential medical supplies that
enables rapid response to emergency needs. Encourage tapping on existing
regional emergency reserve facilities including the warehouses managed by the
ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management
(AHA Centre), among others,further consider the utilisation of the ASEAN Plus
Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR).
SUPPORT ongoing regional collective efforts by the APT health cooperation
sector and by ASEAN to enhance capacities to prevent, detect and respond to
public health threats, leveraging on the implementation of the International
Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 and through existing mechanisms, including, among
others, the ASEAN Emergency Operations Center Network for public health
emergencies (ASEAN EOC Network) and the ASEAN BioDiaspora Virtual Centre.
STRENGTHEN scientific cooperation in epidemiological research, including
through the APT Field Epidemiology Training Network (FETN), coordination,
including with the private sector, towards rapid, research, development,
manufacturing and distribution of diagnostics anti-viral medicines and vaccines,
adhering to the objectives of efficiency, safety, equity accessibility and
affordability as well as actively share and leverage on digital technologies and
innovation to promote a science-based response to combat COVID-19.
ENCOURAGE mutual support and assistance between ASEAN and the Plus Three
countries in the development of human resources and capacity for the public
health sector, including support for upgrading of health facilities for
infection prevention and control, training of public health workers and
provision of scholarships for students from ASEAN Member States to study in
educational and training institutions and related fields of sciences of the Plus
Three countries and strengthen the national health systems.
ENDEAVOUR to ensure adequate financing to contain the pandemic and
protect our peoples, including through the proposed establishment of the
COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund for public health emergencies which would be
reallocated from existing ASEAN 1 and APT cooperation funds, with possible
additional support from ASEAN’s external partners.
ENHANCE cooperation to provide appropriate support and assistance to
nationals of the APT countries, especially the most vulnerable, who stay, work,
and study in each other’s countries, working towards the dignity, health,
well-being, safety and fair and effective treatment of those affected by
COVID-19 as well as facilitating the movement of people as appropriate.
INTENSIFY efforts to promote effective public communication, involving
multiple forms of media, including timely updates of relevant government
policies, public health and safety information, of clarifications on
misinformation and fake news, and efforts to reduce stigmatisation and
discrimination.
REAFFIRM commitments to keep markets open for trade and investment, and
enhance cooperation among ASEAN Plus Three countries with a view to ensuring
food security, such as the utilisation of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice
Reserve (APTERR), and strengthening the resiliency and sustainability of
regional supply chains, especially for essential goods such as food,
commodities, medicines and medical supplies through smooth and continued
operation of the logistics networks, while ensuring that measures deemed
necessary for public health emergency response are targeted, proportionate,
transparent and temporary and that they do not create unnecessary barriers to
trade or disruption to regional supply chains, and are consistent with WTO
rules.
ENCOURAGE to maintain necessary interconnectedness in the region by
facilitating to the extent possible the essential movement of people, including
business travels, while ensuring the safeguarding of public health in line with
our efforts to combat the pandemic as well as to minimize socio-economic impacts
of the COVID-19.
REAFFIRM our commitments to strengthen joint efforts toward post-pandemic
recovery, stimulate economic development and financial resilience, restore
growth, connectivity and tourism, maintain market stability, and prevent
potential risks of economic recession.
IMPLEMENT appropriate and necessary measures to boost market confidence
to improve stability and resilience of the regional economy in a preemptive and
concerted manner, including through economic stimulus, and to assist people and
businesses suffering from the impact of COVID-19, especially the micro, small
and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and vulnerable groups. Leverage technologies and
digital trade to allow businesses, especially the micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) to maintain operations.
STRENGTHEN efforts to stabilise the manufacturing and supply of essential
goods and services, including vital medical supplies, critical agricultural
products, maintain necessary flow of goods and services and sustain supply chain
connectivity within the region and beyond by making the supply chain more
resilient, sustainable and less vulnerable to shocks in order to support
economic development, reaffirming our commitment described in the Joint Leader’s
Statement on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership released in 2019
REMAIN vigilant to the potential risks to regional financial stability,
foster closer regional financial cooperation and policy coordination and
support the ASEAN Plus Three Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) in monitoring
the economic and financial development in the region and providing timely risk
assessment and policy advice. Reaffirm our commitment to the readiness of the
Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM), the Regional Financial
Arrangement (RFA), as a reliable layer of the Global Financial Safety Net.
COMMIT to work closely with the WHO, relevant organisations and the
international community as well as encourage public-private partnership (PPP)
and a whole-of-society approach in the global fight against the pandemic, while
tackling the profound social and economic consequences of COVID-19, protecting
people’s well-being and sustaining growth.
STAY united on high alert and be ready to take any further action that
may be required.
TASK the APT Foreign Ministers to serve as the main
coordinating body, in close collaboration with the relevant sectoral bodies
within the APT framework, to monitor the implementation of the commitments and
agreements underscored in this Statement.
Adopted on this 14th day of April, 2020./.
VNA