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ASEAN strengthens collaboration, cooperation in post-pandemic recovery efforts
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ASEAN Plus Three leaders’ statement on strengthening ASEAN Plus Three cooperation for economic and financial resilience in the face of emerging challenges (photo courtesy of Asean.org)
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t the end of 2019, the world was shaken by the discovery of COVID-19. In less than three months, the virus infected more than 126,000 people in 123 countries, until the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease a global pandemic.
The spread of COVID-19 was so rapid that every nation tried their best to break the chain of virus transmission and suppress the death toll, including developed countries who were seemingly powerless to stem the tide.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, no country was able to handle the pandemic without assistance from other countries, which made international cooperation a vital component in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic together.
Southeast Asia, which is also deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, occupies the third place as the region with the most cases after the United States and Europe. These conditions indicate that the disease caused by the virus is a significant security threat in the region.
The issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic show that countries in Southeast Asia share the same problems, especially in the economic field. ASEAN serves as a forum for countries in the Southeast Asia region to take policy steps in reducing the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and also to ensure that no more outbreaks occur.
In order to maximize efforts in mitigating the impact of the pandemic, especially in the post-pandemic economic recovery, ASEAN has formed the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) initiative by cooperating with China, Japan and South Korea along with ASEAN member countries themselves in 2020.
Indonesia's Role in APT
In supporting cooperation between APT countries, Indonesia acknowledges the importance of continued collaboration within the framework of APT, including the implementation of rapid-regional economic-recovery efforts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The establishment of the ASEAN Task Force on Pandemic, which was proposed by Indonesia at the Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in April 2020, was a step taken to minimize the impact of the pandemic in the region. This initiative has been incorporated in the joint statement of the Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
"I believe this [pandemic] task force can strengthen cooperation in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region, further strengthening the readiness and prevention of various pandemic diseases so that our society is more resilient and stronger in facing similar challenges in the future," said Jose Tavares, then-chairperson of SOM Indonesia and Foreign Ministry’s director general of ASEAN cooperation at a meeting of senior APT officials on July 20, 2020.
In addition, Indonesia has again pushed for the optimization of the role of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) in anticipating food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a common focus on ensuring the implementation of the various commitments of the APT leaders in anticipating various impacts of this pandemic.
Going forward, cooperation within APT will continue to build regional economic resilience by strengthening various economic cooperation infrastructures that already exist in APT.
These collaborative efforts have resulted in numerous initiatives, such as the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM) and the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), as well as ensuring trade and distribution of the flow of goods including essential movements, especially for business owners, and also further strengthening ASEAN coordination in the economic and trade sector, including empowering MSMEs, improving digital-connectivity infrastructure, health-cooperation networks and social-safety nets to further strengthen the resilience of the ASEAN community.
