The Philippine government urged fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-member countries to step up their efforts to realize the goal of building an ASEAN Community that is peaceful, stable, economically competitive and people-oriented.

In a series of meetings held here Friday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario consistently emphasized the need for ASEAN to step up and expedite its work to reach its goal of promoting peace, stability and economic competitiveness in the whole ASEAN region considering the remaining four years from its target date of 2015.

Del Rosario participated in the 5th Meeting of the Political-Security Community (APSC), the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and the 8th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) here yesterday in preparation for the 18th ASEAN Summit which formally opens Saturday, May 7.

The Philippine priorities in achieving ASEAN's community-building goals by the year 2015 include the full and effective implementation of the ASEAN Work Plan on Combating Illicit Drug Production, Trafficking and Use for 2009 to 2015 to achieve a Drug-Free ASEAN by 2015.

Del Rosario expressed the Philippines' commitment to promote and protect human rights in ASEAN through the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and the implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

He also moved to pursue the completion of the guidelines on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) this year to commemorate 20 years of ASEAN-China strategic partnership.

The ASEAN Member States need closer coordination to promote and protect the welfare of its nationals caught in crisis situations given the peace and security situation in the Middle East and Africa.

He also urged multilateral and bilateral legal arrangements among ASEAN Member States, which is in accordance with the ASEAN plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime.

At the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), del Rosario underscored the enhancement of disaster management cooperation by improving coordination mechanisms and capacity building, such as the ARF

Del Rosario pushed for the full implementation of the APSC Communication Plan, which was adopted in 2010 to enhance awareness among the peoples in ASEAN ensure the promotion of peace and security in the region;

He urged, the preparation of an ASEAN Convention on Trafficking-in- Persons (ACTIP) as soon as possible as a mechanism to enhance ASEAN's efforts in combating trafficking in persons.

The Philippines, as the lead shepherd on Trafficking in Persons, will host the "Experts' Meeting to Study the Feasibility on Developing an ASEAN Convention on Trafficking-in-Persons" in June, and the 5th Senior Officials' Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) Working Group Meeting on TIP and the 20th Meeting of the Heads of Specialist Anti-Trafficking Units in July this year.

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