This e-Conference challenged notions that ASEAN has been unresponsive to the current crisis. Speakers pointed out that the ASEAN chair did in fact quickly mobilise emergency meetings at the Summit and across numerous sectoral levels, as well as meetings to coordinate approaches with dialogue partners. These enabled unprecedented information sharing and mutual support for individual states’ efforts. Member states demonstrated solidarity in their commitment to keep markets and supply chains open, and to support international institutions like the WHO. ASEAN also benefits from a crisis infrastructure established to respond to earlier infectious diseases, and humanitarian crises.
Moderator: Ms Denise Cheong (CIL), Closing speaker: Professor Tommy Koh, Panellists: Singapore Permanent Representative to ASEAN Kok Li Peng, Ambassador of Viet Nam to Singapore Tao Thi Thanh Huong, Professor Simon Tay (SIIA), Professor Mely Caballero-Anthony (NTU RSIS) and Dr Tan Hsien-Li (CIL).
Recorded live on Zoom on 20 May 2020. Some minor audio and video distortions were present at the time of recording.