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President Gloria Arroyo has created an inter-agency task force to
speed up the ratification of Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(Asean) charter in the Senate—a pact that Asean leaders already
signed in Singapore in November 2007.
“There’s a need to pass the Asean charter
because this will allow Asean members to cope with the demands of
globalization. And that must start from regional economic
integration among Asian nations,” Mrs. Arroyo noted.
Formed through the administrative order Arroyo
229, the Asean Charter Task Force will be composed of different
government agencies and is “hereby created to act with resolve and
urgency for the concurrence in the ratification of the treaty by the
Senate.”
The Asean charter provides that every member
state must ratify the charter in accordance with their internal
procedures. It is also considered a treaty and requires Senate
concurrence after the President’s approval.
The task force is mandated to coordinate with
other agencies to prepare necessary documents, assist the Senate in
getting such documents and attend Senate hearings. Mrs. Arroyo also
instructed the Budget department to provide funds for the newly
created body.
The charter seeks, among others, to make Asean a
legal entity and to form a regional human rights body, and create
the criteria for the admission of new members.
-- Angelo S. Samonte
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