Indonesia pushes for ASEAN Declaration on Southeast Asian cultural value hinh anh 1A music performance at the Indonesian Embassy in Belgium. (Photo: VNA)

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy has called for the establishment of an ASEAN Declaration regarding family development to bolster the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC).

During a reception on March 13 for Singaporean Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli Effendy, who currently serves as chair of the ASCC Council during Indonesia’s 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship, the minister said Indonesia is drafting an ASEAN Declaration on Southeast Asian cultural value and custom-based family development.

He expected that the draft of the ASEAN Declaration concerning family development can be followed up at the ministerial meeting on ASCC by establishing various initiatives to carry out concrete family development attempts, adding that the ASCC Council, under Indonesia's chairmanship, will raise five important issues.

The issues include the establishment of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC), the ASEAN Public Health Emergency Fund and the ASEAN Village Network.

Furthermore, the council will ready the ASEAN Guideline on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on Promoting Competitiveness, Resilience and Agility of Workers for the Future of Work.

The fifth issue is the preparation of the ASEAN Guideline on Protection of Migrant Workers in Crisis Situations.

The minister said Indonesia and Singapore have established bilateral cooperation on women's empowerment, child protection and family development by sharing good practices, exchanging information, as well as implementing training programmes to strengthen family development in both countries.

He hoped that this cooperation can continue to be improved and implemented properly through the right programmes, one of which is targeting to bolster family economic empowerment./.

VNA