NAY PYI TAW, Nov 13 – The United Nations (UN) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should formulate a joint post 2015 action plan to genuinely benefit the people of the 10-member bloc, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said during an ASEAN-UN meeting in Myanmar.
Gen Prayut made the call in his speech Wednesday night at the 6th ASEAN-UN Summit in Nay Pyi Thaw, Myanmar, which was attended by leaders of the 10 ASEAN member countries and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
He said ASEAN and UN chiefs should assign concerned authorities to develop the joint action plan by integrating the UN post 2015-development action plan with the ASEAN Community’s Post-215 Vision.
The 10 ASEAN countries will establish a single community at the end of 2015, covering some 600 million people with a combined GDP of US$2 trillion.
Gen Prayut, also head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said Thailand is pleased that the UN is committed to greater cooperation with ASEAN, especially in the fields of agriculture and food security.
He said the cooperation will bring about sustainable agricultural development and greater food security within the region and the world.
Gen Prayut said Thailand appreciates the role of UN in promoting a UN-coordinated worldwide natural disaster early warning system and ASEAN connectivity.
He said such system is vital for countries in the Southeast Asian region, which are facing all types of deadly natural disasters.
ASEAN member countries have adopted the ASEAN Strategic Transport Plan for 2011-2015 to promote connectivity within the region, which is crucial to the region’s agricultural development.
The Thai prime minister also called for UN to help address problems that could occur from greater regional connectivity, such has transnational crime, narcotics smuggling and human trafficking.
