HIS Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam consented to attend the 6th Asean-United Nations (UN) Summit attended by Heads of State and Government of Asean and Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the UN.

His Majesty consented to deliver a titah and said Asean’s partnership with the UN has been longstanding and over the years Asean and the UN have expanded engagement in areas of shared interest particularly in promoting peace, security and prosperity in the region. In this regard, His Majesty shared the concerns of many countries during the UN General Assembly on the rising challenges such as climate change, terrorism and pandemic diseases. These are problems that require the participation of Asean in supporting a global approach. This is why on climate change, Asean and the UN recognised it as a complex issue that requires national, regional and international approaches. At the same time, it also requires a comprehensive strategy for cross-sectoral cooperation.

His Majesty added that in addition to addressing the cause of climate change, Asean and the UN also need to deal with its effects. We have witnessed the devastation left behind by Cyclone Nargis and Typhoon Haiyan and Asean appreciates the UN’s continued support in Asean’s efforts including disaster risk management through the AHA Centre.

Asean and the UN, according to His Majesty, should urge officials to intensify their work closely on this important area particularly on reducing impact to the people through early warning and disaster relief. Furthermore, Asean supports efforts under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to adopt an agreement in Paris next year.

His Majesty said Brunei was pleased with the developments particularly their work on preventive diplomacy. Therefore, His Majesty said he looked forward to a strengthened partnership which could enhance Asean’s skills and knowledge in the relevant areas of peace and reconciliation, including working closely with the Asean Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR).

His Majesty also showed that as Asean’s progresses with community building goals, it reaffirms its commitment to improve the quality of life of its people. This includes narrowing the development gap and upholding the people’s rights to live in dignity. His Majesty encouraged the UN to continue working with all the relevant institutions in Asean which deals with this, including the Asean Human Rights Commission (AICHR).

His Majesty said Asean looks forward to working closely together with the UN on the post-2015 development agenda and on that note, His Majesty welcomed the establishment of the UN liaison office to Asean which will further strengthen the dialogues and coordination between Asean and the UN.

The summit heard discussions on the cooperation implemented between Asean and the UN.

Leaders of Asean expressed their satisfaction on the continuous cooperation of the UN including inter-connectivity and food security that has contributed to the efforts in tackling the challenges of food security in this region. Leaders of Asean also appreciated the partnership and support from the UN, especially in the development efforts of the Asean Community in realising the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and in promoting regional and global security. - Borneo Bulletin (13 November 2014)