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ASEAN vows tighter collab on food, digital tech, but experts cast doubt
Though ASEAN member states have vowed better collaboration on issues from food security to geopolitical risks, experts say technical difficulties and a lack of political will often threw a wrench into such efforts.
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ASEAN leaders (from left) Thai Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Sarun Charoensuwan, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Bruneian Prime Minister Hassanal Bolkiah and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet leave the stage on Sept. 5 after taking a “family photo” prior to the leaders’ retreat at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta. (AFP/Achmad Ibrahim)
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SEAN countries have declared further and firmer collaboration to ensure food security in the region, to foster the digital economy and to navigate geopolitical risks, but experts say technical difficulties and a lack of commitment could get in the way.
On Wednesday during the 43rd ASEAN Summit, held in Jakarta under Indonesia’s chairmanship, member states pledged to intensify their efforts on issues at the center of the bloc’s series of meetings leading up to the summit, including food security, the digital economy and ASEAN’s geopolitical positioning.
“[We commit] to strengthening the region’s position as the epicentrum of growth by navigating and responding to global challenges and unleashing the region’s full growth potentials,” states the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on ASEAN as an Epicentrum Of Growth, one of several such declarations issued this year.
The leaders also agreed to “redouble efforts towards regional food security” by strengthening the region’s agricultural productivity and food supply chains.
Discussed extensively at this year’s summit, the bloc’s efforts to build food systems resilience aims to prevent supply crises and mitigate risks stemming from population growth, volatile input costs, climate change and geopolitical tensions.
Delegates who spoke to reporters at the event took this to mean that ASEAN countries should prioritize their fellow members as trade partners for food and related commodities, such as fertilizer and its raw materials.
Muhammad Habib, a researcher from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Jakarta, said “concurrent challenges” including inward-looking policies were affecting food security.
