BUILDING A PEOPLE CENTERED ASEAN THROUGH COMMUNITY BASED ENTERPRISES
Read the statement in pdfD ASEAN
We the organizers of the Roundtable Discussion on Fostering an ASEAN Community cooperation representing the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) and the Asian Solidarity Economy Council (ASEC);
Having gathered on April 25, 2015 in Kuala Lumpur public and private sector leaders, civil society organizations, and social entrepreneurs in ASEAN member countries as well as international organizations to develop a South-South & Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) program aimed at strengthening the value chains of community based enterprises;
Recognizing the priorities of Malaysia as the Chairman of ASEAN 2015 for greater engagement with the peoples and stakeholders in regional community- building process, strengthening the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) so that they will continue to prosper even as regional integration places SMEs under greater pressure to compete, and expanding intra-ASEAN trade and investment through cross-border investments and trade;
Herewith call on ASEAN Heads of State to recognise:
That grassroots, local community initiatives in ASEAN are generating community based enterprises that contribute to wealth creation, enhancing the quality of community life, and empowering people’s participation in local development, environmental conservation, and responsible use of local resources in a sustainable way.
That the initiative in establishing an ASEAN Network of Community based Enterprises is in line with the eight priorities of Malaysia as Chairman of ASEAN 2015, and will enhance ASEAN people to people cooperation in addressing poverty and local sustainable development and ensure the integration of community based enterprises into the greater ASEAN Economic Community.
That the GMM-ASEC Roundtable Discussion on Fostering an ASEAN Community cooperation with the support of the International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched an ASEAN South-South and Triangular Cooperation and unanimously endorsed a strategy for developing community based enterprises and integrating them into the ASEAN Economic Community with the following priority areas for action:
(i) In each ASEAN member country, select 3 CBEs to be monitored & evaluated so as to provide concrete data on the performance of CBEs which can be presented during the annual ASEAN Summit of Leaders.
(ii) Train the leaders & managers of civil society organizations and social enterprises to broaden their understanding and enrich their practice on CBEs;
(iii) Establish an ASEAN Growth Fund for CBEs and attract social investors that may be interested in supporting the scaling up of CBE supply chains.
(iv) Offer formal education for CBE leaders & managers in collaboration with national universities for the purpose of instilling an ‘ASEAN community’ mindset and the collaborative way of working together.
(v) Engage policymakers at the ASEAN and member country levels in a policy dialogue with the aim of supporting the development of CBEs.
(vi) Enlist 1 Million ‘socially enterprising’ consumers from 10 ASEAN countries to patronize CBE products; and
(vii) Further develop the regional framework for an ASEAN South-South and Triangular Cooperation in developing CBEs and integrating them into the ASEAN Economic Community, specifying the programme vision, core values, and business plan.
That the ASEAN South-South and Triangular Cooperation shall foster the collaboration among Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand in extending technical assistance for the capacity building of community based enterprises in CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam) towards the realization of a people centered ASEAN Economic Community.
And that strengthening the value chains of Community based enterprises can be a major initiative in addressing poverty and inequality through wealth creation, environmental conservation and the genuine empowerment of people at the grassroots to fulfill the new targets of the Global Sustainable Development Goals.
Issued on April 25, 2015, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Chairman, GMM
Dr. Benjamin R. Quiñones, Jr., Chairman, ASEC (RIPESS Asia)
Bambang Ismawan, Chairman, ASEC Indonesia
Brigido Simon Jr., Chairman, ASEC Philippines
Datuk Dr. Denison Jayasooria, Chairman, ASEC Malaysia
