Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy called for the establishment of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Declaration regarding family development to bolster the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC).

Effendy made the statement after a bilateral meeting with Minister for Social and Family Development of Singapore Masagos Zulkifli, as quoted from a press release on Monday.

Effendy, who currently serves as chair of the ASCC Council during Indonesia’s 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship, said his side is drafting an ASEAN Declaration on Southeast Asian cultural value and custom-based family development.

“Currently, the (mainstream) concepts for family development are still influenced by ideas from western countries that are not too suitable with family development strategies in the ASEAN region, including in Indonesia and Singapore,” he remarked.

Hence, the Indonesian coordinating minister 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.

“For instance, it can be followed up by (conducting) research on various matters related to family issues in ASEAN,” he said.

The ASCC Council, under Indonesia’s chairmanship, will raise five important issues, he noted.

The issues include the establishment of the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC), 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.

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

Effendy 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 programs to strengthen family development in both countries.

“We hope that this cooperation can continue to be improved and implemented properly through the right programs, one of which is targeting (to bolster) family economic empowerment,” he added.

Indonesia is holding the ASEAN chairmanship from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023. (PNA)