Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is scheduled to attend the 22nd ASEAN Summit in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, on 24-25 April 2013.

The upcoming ASEAN Summit is the first summit under the chairmanship of Brunei Darussalam, which has designated the theme “Our People, Our Future Together” for its chairmanship in 2013.

The theme reflects the importance of the role and participation of ASEAN peoples in moving the ASEAN Community forward and building the future of the region together. Under its chairmanship, Brunei Darussalam will focus on following up on prior commitments and agreements of ASEAN to make concrete progress and outcomes.

Prime Minister Yingluck is expected to focus on the acceleration of ASEAN community-building and connectivity, as well as deeper economic integration, especially in the framework of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. She will also address trans-boundary challenges, such as human trafficking, drug trafficking, disaster mitigation, and haze.

Other issues involve efforts to enhance the participation of civil society in the community-building process, to raise awareness about ASEAN among the young generation, and to promote ASEAN’s profile in the global stage and key regional issues.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Executive Management Program on 5 April 2013, Prime Minister Yingluck stressed the need for Thai people in all sectors of society to adjust themselves to changes that will be brought about by ASEAN integration. Organized jointly by the Office of the Civil Service Commission, the Secretariat of the Prime Minister, the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University, the program aims to prepare Thai personnel for the ASEAN Community in 2015.

In the 2013 fiscal year, the program has been arranged for two batches of executives from the public and private sectors and members of civil society organizations. The first batch will attend the program from April to May and the second from July to August.

In her special lecture as part of the program, the Prime Minister touched on the topic of Thailand’s vision under the framework of ASEAN cooperation. She said that the ASEAN Executive Management Program is in line with the “Country Strategy,” to be implemented from 2013 to 2018. The Country Strategy is a guideline for moving Thailand forward. Apart from preparing the country for the ASEAN Community, it also aims to build Thailand’s fundamentals in order to promote sustainable growth in the long term and build a better Thailand for future generations.

The Country Strategy addresses four major issues: growth and competitiveness, inclusive growth to ensure sustainable growth, green growth, and good governance.

via ASEAN Corner — Prime Minister to Attend the Upcoming 22nd ASEAN Summit.