Jokowi Calls For ASEAN-UN Partnership To Eradicate Poverty In Se Asia

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo  (Jokowi) has  underscored the importance of ASEAN-UN partnership to  eradicate poverty and  promote public health in  Southeast Asia  
The president made the remarks at the 8th ASEAN-UN Summit which brought together ASEAN leaders and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in  Vientiane, Laos, on Wednesday.

ASEAN, which is still home to 120 million poor people must ensure that the Agenda 2030 in the field of poverty eradication can be achieved by organizing vocational training, increasing production capacity, making innovations, promoting micro small and medium entrepreneurs, and expanding access to financial inclusion, among others, he said.

"It is important for ASEAN to ensure that poverty eradication program will be incorporated to the 2030 sustainable development agenda," he said.

In the health sector,  the Indonesian leader has expressed the hope that the two organizations can cooperate in enhancing regional resilience to the outbreak of communicable diseases such as SARS, bird flu, AIDS and non-communicable diseases such as hearth attack, cancer and diabetes.

The cooperation can be pursued by conducting joint researches involving institutions or experts, organizing joint training and establishing collaboration  in preventing and detecting pandemic diseases  including developing an  emergency response plan, he said.

At the meeting, President Joko Widodo also spoke of ASEAN's influence  in the global map that ASEAN is the world's seventh largest economy, with gross domestic product (GDP) reaching nearly US$2.6 trillion.

ASEAN is also a stable and peaceful region, he said adding that  with all its assets and potentials,  the regional grouping can contribute to the implementation of several UN agenda to realize sustainable development and create global peace, among others.

"ASEAN has all assets to become the UN's main partner," he said.      
Touching on global peace, President Joko Widodo reiterated his call for ASEAN and UN to  make the question of Palestine a priority issue,  support Palestine's steps to realize independence  and revive  Palestine-Israel peace negotiations based on two-state solution.

UN has been one of ASEAN's partners since 1970.  The ASEAN-UN Summit was the first time held in Bangkok in  2000.

In 2007, the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding  (MoU) on ASEAN-UN Cooperation which laid a basis for the establishment of partnership in the political, economic and social and cultural fields as well as in the settlement of global issues. (WDY)