Representatives of ASEAN member countries took part in the 20th meeting of the Senior Officials Committee for the ASEAN Social Cultural Community Council which opened on Thursday in Luang Prabang to discuss preparations for the 15th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Pillar (ASCC) Council meeting to be held on June 4.

The discussion at the meeting will focus on key documents already approved including the Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN and the Vientiane Declaration on Reinforcing Cultural Heritage Cooperation in ASEAN.

“The Lao PDR has been entrusted to chair ASEAN for the second time this year. It is an important and meaningful year as it is the first year that ASEAN has become a community and the first year of the implementation of the ASEAN Vision 2025 and its blueprints for the three community pillars,” said Director of the Department of Mass Media, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Pinpatthana Phanthamaly.

The ASEAN Leaders have charted out the future direction to further strengthen and advance the ASEAN Community for the next ten years by adopting the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.

The Lao PDR has introduced the theme “Turning Vision into Reality for a Dynamic ASEAN Community” for its ASEAN Chairmanship 2016 in view of building upon the achievements made thus far in view of maintaining and promoting a peaceful, stable and outward-looking ASEAN region, with a highly integrated and cohesive economic region, enhanced cooperation in socio-cultural issues, and strengthened efforts in connectivity and narrowing the development gap.

The discussion also covered the ASEAN Declaration on One ASEAN One Response: ASEAN Responding to Disasters as One in the Region and Outside the Region, ASEAN Joint Statement on Biodiversity for the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (2016), and the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Education for Out of School Children (OOSC) and Out of School Youth (OOSY).

Source:
courtesy of KPL NEWS AGENCY

by Manythone

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