OPENING REMARKS OF ACTING SECRETARY FRANKLIN M. EBDALIN 

AT THE SECOND NATIONAL CONSULTATION MEETING 
WITH THE CIVIL SOCIETY ON THE ASEAN CHARTER

10 August 2006, 9:00 A.M., Thursday
Bulwagang Blas F. Ople, 14^th Floor, DFA Bldg.   

His Excellency President Fidel Valdez Ramos, Philippine Representative 
        to the ASEAN Eminent Persons Group on the ASEAN Charter, 
Former cabinet members,
Representatives of civil society organizations, 
Ladies and gentlemen: 

I am honored and privileged to welcome you to the Department of Foreign Affairs for the Second National Consultation Meeting with the Civil Society on the ASEAN Charter.    

Today’s meeting brings us closer to the Philippines’ vision for ASEAN  - One Caring and Sharing Community that is vibrant, dynamic and most importantly people-centered.   

Civil society plays an instrumental role in realizing this vision, particularly in the drafting of our ASEAN Charter, which encompasses our ideals and aspirations as a region.     

It may be recalled that on 23 March 2006, thirty-one civil society representatives gathered in this same hall and actively engaged our Philippine Eminent Person, former President Fidel V. Ramos, in a lively and fruitful discussion on the elements that should go into our ASEAN Charter.  

Since that first national consultation meeting, the ASEAN Eminent Persons Group (EPG) has met twice – last April in Bali, Indonesia and last June in Singapore. I have no doubt that former President Ramos was able to convey your views and recommendations to his EPG colleagues during these two meetings. 

We are deeply grateful that President Ramos is with us again today to brief us on what the EPG has agreed on so far and what issues remain outstanding. 

I also wish to commend President Ramos for being the first Eminent Person who directly involved civil society organizations in the shaping of the ASEAN Charter through a series of national consultations.   

The ASEAN Charter will be ASEAN’s most important document after the 1967 Bangkok Declaration that gave birth to ASEAN.    

Through the Charter, ASEAN will be able to finally enshrine the values and principles that should bind us, shaped by our history and experiences in the last 39 years.  Likewise, it will establish and identify the structures and organizations that will lead ASEAN in achieving our desired regional goals.  It will create for us a rules-based organization.  In short, the Charter will define ASEAN’s future. 

It is but fitting and appropriate for the EPG to consult all stakeholders in the process.  After all they are the ones who will be directly affected by ASEAN’s future decisions and actions.   

Four months from now, the EPG will submit a report to the ASEAN Leaders during the 12^th ASEAN Summit on 10-14 December 2006 in Cebu.  Thereafter, our leaders will create a high-level task force to draft the ASEAN Charter.  The task force will continue the work of the EPG.   

Our meeting today presents another opportunity for Philippine civil society organizations to exchange views with former President Ramos on the ASEAN charter.  As you did during your first meeting, I encourage you to actively participate by openly and freely expressing concerns related to your respective advocacies. 

Your presence here manifests your sincere desire to take part in shaping the future of ASEAN.  I am hopeful that your contributions will eventually find their place in the provisions of our future ASEAN Charter. 

/epa

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