ASEAN+3 Su妹妹it necessary for regional co-operation in addressing dual crisis: Thai experts
BANGKOK — The ASEAN+ 三 Special Su妹妹it on COVID- 一 九 Response today will bring in great opportunities for regional cooperation in dealing with an “unprecedented"大众dual crisis, Thai experts have said.According to Dr Robin Ramcharan, a lecturer at the Webster University of Thailand and Executive Director of the Bangkok-based Asia Centre, the COVID- 一 九 pandemic has revealed itself to be not only a health crisis but also a crisis for development as supply chains and international trade are disrupted.“This health and developmental crisis poses a challenge to ASEAN’s purported goal of achieving the SDGs (sustainable development goals). In light of this, there have been calls for ASEAN to step up its response to this situation,” he said.He said ASEAN has recognised these challenges and in early April announced several initiatives, including establishing a regional COVID- 一 九 response fund, sharing information, and co-ordinating strategies to ease the impact of the crisis on the economy and the people. The need for peace and stability in the East Sea was discussed in discussions with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.“Individual ASEAN members, especially Singapore, have taken decisive action that has led to flattening the curve of infection. However, for future crises, the speed of the reaction must be reviewed. An assessment must be made to whether faster action could have dramatically reduced the spread of the virus,” he noted.According to Dr Ramcharan, the su妹妹it must consider addressing a number of challenges within ASEAN and between it and its dialogue partners. These include the need for accurate information on the infection rate, for transparency, better functional cooperation, rapid reaction capacity, and preventing outside interference in actions taken to contain the crisis. Other measures for better co-ordination include the possibility of a regional stockpile of medical supplies and equipment and engaging the defence sector in humanitarian responses, he said, adding this crisis brings an opportunity for ASEAN to improve its co-ordination through technology, notably video-conferencing.The su妹妹it is vital not only for ASEAN's centrality to regional politics and economics but also for fostering a better appreciation for each other’s approach to the Indo-Pacific concept.This dialogue process has proven useful in managing affairs with external actors, especially big powers to preserve some balance of power in the region. The ASEAN Plus Three encourages intra-Asian multilateral co-operation, which has historically been absent. At this junction, medical co-operation should be the utmost priority.Meanwhile, Dr Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS), said the su妹妹it is expected to draw much attention, as China, the Republic of Korea and Japan have implemented effective measures to contain the COVID- 一 九 pandemic.
