Leaders from 10 Southeast Asian nations officially opened their 12th summit on the resort island of Cebu, the Philippines, on January 13, focusing discussions on peace, security, social justice and economic development.

In her opening speech, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo noted that the summit took place at a time when there have been positive signs of the resumption of the Doha round of talks.

“ASEAN is committed to expanding its trade forum to become the largest in the world," said Ms Arroyo.

The 10 ASEAN member nations have already agreed to bring forward the establishment of a regional free trade zone by five years, to 2015, hoping to liberalise the movement of goods and capital across a region that accounts for one sixth of the world's population.

She also expressed her belief that the meeting will make progress in such areas as energy, human rights, economic integration and social justice.

"We want to advance the sense of community and our shared interests, to look after each other in terms of social justice, economic development and common security," Ms Arroyo said.

During the two-day summit, ASEAN leaders are expected to endorse a counterterrorism convention as well as recommendations for an ASEAN charter to create a more formalized bloc.

The Vietnamese delegation is led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Dung welcomed efforts to boost regional cooperation and integration process, particularly in cultural and social affairs, towards the goal of building a caring and sharing community. He said the most important factor in building an ASEAN community is to narrow the development gap among member countries.

“Narrowing the development gap under the Initiative for ASEAN Integration should be given a top priority,” said Mr Dung.  

The same day, ASEAN leaders signed and adopted many important documents.

The Cebu Declaration Towards One Caring and Sharing Community envisages ASEAN as a concert of Southeast Asian nations, outward-looking, living in peace, stability and prosperity, bonded together in partnership in dynamic development and in a community of caring societies. In the Declaration, ASEAN leaders agreed to reduce poverty and inequality, improve the standard and quality of people’s life, strive to build a caring and sharing community for children and encourage equitable and effective participation of women in all fields. 

President G.Arroyo welcomes Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dung

For the first time in its 40-year history, ASEAN leaders signed the Cebu Declaration on the Blueprint of the ASEAN Charter. Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dung said once completed, the charter will create a legal and institutional framework for ASEAN to become a stronger, more dynamic, efficient, united and cohesive bloc. The blueprint will be submitted to the 13^th ASEAN summit to be held in Singapore later this year.

ASEAN leaders also adopted the Cebu Declaration on the Acceleration of the Establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015 based on the three pillars: the ASEAN Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community to create a stronger, more united and cohesive ASEAN which can better deal with increased trans-national issues and look to deeper integration and linkages in the future.

They also adopted the ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism, creating a legal framework for strengthening regional cooperation to counter, prevent and suppress terrorism in all forms.

In their adopted statement on the fight against HIV/AIDS, ASEAN leaders showed their strong determination, together with drastic measures, to curb the deadly disease effectively.

The leaders also signed the ASEAN statement on WTO, calling for an early resumption of Doha rounds of negotiations, and the Cebu Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers in line with the principles of strengthening the political, economic and social pillars of the ASEAN community.  

In the afternoon, Vietnamese PM Nguyen Tan Dung attended a dialogue between ASEAN leaders and ASEAN-ABAC members. He also attended the fourth meeting between Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.