April 3, 2012
ASEAN Leaders adopt Phnom Penh Declaration, 2012
by Xia Ziyi@http://news.xinhuanet.com
PHNOM PENH, April 3 (Xinhua) — The ASEAN leaders adopted the Phnom Penh Declaration on ASEAN: One Community, One Destiny at the Peace Palace here on Tuesday, pledging to continue their utmost efforts to implement ASEAN initiatives and agreements to push forward community building.
The Declaration was adopted after extensive deliberations and discussion at a full-day plenary session during which the leaders exchanged views on the progress made in implementation of key documents and deals, first and foremost, the Roadmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015), the three Community Blueprints and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration Work Plan , and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity.
They also renewed their commitment to enhance effective coordination and cooperation among
the member states and between ASEAN and external parties to realize the ASEAN objectives.
According to the Declaration, the leaders say they are inspired by the achievements of ASEAN in its 45 years of existence in striving towards a fully integrated, people-centered, people- oriented and rules-based organization, and that they endorse a coordinated ASEAN approach and improved partnership that would contribute to regional and global undertakings to make more achievements of ASEAN in the future.
They also uphold the eventual realization of a regional Code of Conduct, collective efforts to address the non-traditional challenges faced by the region as well as the international community, through the promotion of closer and more efficient collaboration in the relevant areas of cooperation, inter alia, disaster risk reduction and management, peace-keeping operations, counter-terrorism activities, combating transnational crimes, maritime security, trafficking in persons and other challenges.
Earlier in the day, the leaders also adopted the Phnom Penh Agenda for ASEAN Community Building which outlines the priority areas to focus on under the Cambodian Chairmanship in 2012, including equitable economic development, regional financial stability, the participation of the private sector, disaster management, food security, the role of women in boosting regional prosperity, among others.
The two-day Summit will conclude Wednesday with back-to-back adoptions of several documents that are expected to strengthen the endeavors and mechanisms for an ASEAN Community envisioned by 2015.
The ASEAN, established in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
ASEAN Summit 2012-The Phnom Penh Declaration
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Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
Monumental waste of time. I think the native operative word is “Syiok Sendiri”. Cambodia is rapidly devolving into a PRC satellite. Wasn’t Mr Hu slinking around Phnom Penh, offering cookies and other goodies yesterday? I seriously think Naypyidaw, with all it’s poverty of intellect, political inexperience and xenophobia, would have done better.
CLF,
Cambodia has put a lot of effort in organising this ASEAN Summit. I was in Phnom Penh from March 16-18 for a conference and had a preview of the arrangements for the summit. Watching some video clips, I think they have done well and deserve to be congratulated.
There is little that Cambodia can do about the shape and content of the final Phnom Penh Declaration. It is shaped by consensus (the ASEAN style) at the meetings of ASEAN senior officials and Foreign Ministers.It was then endorsed by ASEAN Leaders. But it provides the broad framework to enable Cambodia as ASEAN chair 2012 to come up with some specific programmes for implementation with the help of the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta.
It is true that Cambodia enjoys close fraternal ties with the PRC and it is a plus for ASEAN, but the Cambodians know that they cannot be an appendage of the Chinese. Like others, Cambodia will act in its national interest and as a small emerging nation it is learning to swim with the sharks (Australia, the US, the PRC, Russia, the EU, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and India) via its membership of ASEAN.
Remember under Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia was a victim of big power rivalry of the Cold War era, and American military adventurism in Vietnam that led to the rise of the Khmer Rouge and the subsequent genocide. Cambodians have learned the lessons of their recent history. I wish them well. –Din Merican
Cambodia is in the orbit of PRC and pays little heed to ASEAN antics, Dato. After-all, that’s where the money is. Japan has been their largest donor, but i don’t see Japan rushing to utilize the goodwill generated thus far, like what they have done in Vietnam. Why?
Cambodians have a very pragmatic outlook, as you are very well aware of, but i have a suspicion that corruption and sheer opportunism blinds even their intelligentsia. Some of the less well-off folk complain that Hun Sen is partial to the Vietnamese because of land grabs. While other ordinary Cambodians who respect Chinese enterprise, are not exactly enamored by the sheer scale of sweat shop-factories that have mushroomed overnight. Human & drug trafficking, prostitution, black-marketing and money laundering remains rampant. The rule of law is almost non existent in the country side. The monarchy is perceived as effeminate and subject to Hun Sen’s vagaries. The infrastructure is sorely in need of upgrading, but the ADB is wary for good reason.
It was not the US that precipitated the Killing Fields, but a misrepresentation of Syphilitic Maoism by Pol Pot with his rabid anti-intellectualism. The blame is definitely misplaced.
____________
I cannot disagree with some of your comments. Cambodia is now stable and improving its governance. Corruption is a serious problem but the Cambodian Anti- Corruption Agency has been established along the Singapore-Hongkong model to deal with it . Talking to some Cambodian friends who are with Government and in civil society organisations, I came to know that Hun Sen himself is determined to deal with this scourge. Let us see what they can come up with.
On the investment side, China, South Korea and Japan have become major players. Malaysia is now ranked No.4. Our banks there (Maybank, Public Bank and CIMB Bank) are expanding their branch networks. OSK Investment is also there. The Malaysia-Cambodia Business Council is active in Phnom Penh.–Din Merican
“It was not the US that precipitated the Killing Fields ………”
Dear C.L.F., Search the web and be stunned!
Ever heard of empiricism, black whatever?
As i often say, don’t just read.., go, see, experience and think!
Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Preah Vihear and other masterpieces are the most impressive structures ever built by man! Over 3 million international tourists per year are falling in love with Cambodia’s people, countryside, temples, beaches and charms….(ricky martin, bill clinton, the queen of spain, jacqueline onassis, angelina jolie, jackie chan AND more have all been, didn’t cha know!)
To be candid, it is a good and sensible Declaration. It does not seem to have been pre-cooked by officials, rather more reflective of the discussion of leaders. It is indeed refreshing given that it was succinct, cogent and lucid.
Mind you, Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Hor Namhong is a seasoned diplomat of the old school. He along with the former King Samdech Eav Norodom Sihanouk are the two surviving members of the once famed Diplomatic Academy of Phnom Penh of the early 1950s.
Under his direction, the host did one important thing. It overcame the tendency to create more words and hot air, more undertakings (like having a Phnom Penh Plan of Action), without paying sufficient attention to essential need to implement those already agreed to that is, speeding up the ASEAN Community building by 2015. Terang Bulan
Some commentators tend to confuse a country’s bilateral relations and inclinations with it’s role within the multilateral context. The PP Declaration is good. We must remember that ASEAN summits are held twice a year. The first one looks inwards and is expected to take stock of progress to make sure that everything is going in the right direction. The second summit is with it’s dialogue partners and this provides a strategic compass. We have to wait to see what emerges in Nov. It would be good if the summit has some concrete deliverable. While I would give PP a “B” for this summit, it would have to show something more to keep up the grade. A good test would be whether Obama attends the EAS.